Conservativesâ âbusiness-as-usualâ election manifesto weak on climate details
Germanyâs conservative CDU/CSU alliance with few details on how to use the coming years to help transform the European powerhouse into a climate neutral economy by 2045.
Conservatives put innovation, technological leadership and economic growth at the heart of their climate chapter and call for a âdecade of modernisationâ in the 2020s. They see their goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2045 as Germanyâs contribution to following the 1.5° path internationally.
However, political opponents and NGOs were quick to criticise the manifesto for its lack of detail and ambition. The Greens' candidate for chancellor Annalena Baerbock said the CDU/CSU fail to explain how they intend to finance many of their promises and of not being bold enough, . She said it was a business-as-usual programme, following the motto âclose your eyes and hope for the bestâ.
The programme reminds of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkelâs campaign slogan âyou know meâ, Sabine Henkel in an opinion piece for public broadcaster ARD. Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet and his bloc regard climate change as âone problem among many and offer hardly any possible solutionsâ, she writes. The conservatives âobviously do not not want to alienate anyone, certainly not the core electorate and car driversâ.
Omitting details on instruments and measures to reach climate neutrality by 2045 could also provide necessary leeway in coalition talks with political competitors after the vote on 26 September, such as the Green Party. The Greens are currently the second-strongest party in national polls and a coalition without them seems unlikely.
Chancellor candidate and North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Laschet is currently the top contender to succeed Merkel as head of government following Germanyâs federal election. The climate and energy issue is expected to have a major impact on this yearâs election as rising temperatures, severe drought and climate protests have put emission-reduction efforts at the top of the agenda.
Little details on future carbon price, push for Europeanisation
The conservatives clearly bank on joint European initiatives to bolster German energy and climate policy. âWe have deliberately placed Europe and international relations at the beginning of our programmeâ as the party aims to tackle global challenges such as climate change together with its partners, said Laschet.
A key area is CO2 pricing. Conservativesâ long-term goal is a comprehensive European emissions trade with a uniform price. To get there, they call for expanding emissions trading to the transport and heating sectors.
Since the start of 2021, Germany has a fixed national carbon price in these sectors, and parties have had heated election campaign debates about its future growth path â a sensitive issue as diesel and petrol prices will rise accordingly. Connecting the German system to an EU-wide trade would level the playing field and shift responsibility away from national lawmakers.
âWe want to tighten the carbon price path and move as quickly as possible to a European emissions trading scheme for mobility and heat,â says the manifesto. CDU and CSU do not name concrete prices for the coming years of national carbon pricing, as other parties have â providing leeway for future government coalition talks.
The CDU âstill campaigns on the slogan âplease do not name a price tag todayâ,â wrote Christian StĂścker in recently. While the German public increasingly puts climate action at the top of its policy priorities and remains strongly in support of the transition to a low-carbon and nuclear-free economy, this support shrinks once people are asked to change their behaviour or invest more of their income.
, CDU head Laschet said the parties were âlooking at the future of the 2020sâ with their manifesto â a future where a European emissions trading market would decide the price, instead of âpolitics determining it down to the cent.â
How to guarantee social fairness of rising fuel prices is a key issue in the current election campaign in Germany, with some parties â such as the Greens â proposing to fully hand back carbon pricing revenues to citizens with a per capita payment. Conservatives instead aim to return the revenues to citizens and businesses by lowering the electricity price, for example through abolishing the renewables levy.
Platitudes on renewables, support of blue hydrogen as bridging technology
The chapter on Germanyâs future energy system is marked by platitudes, calling for âa significantly faster expansionâ of renewables as well as electricity grids, pushing storage technologies and securing affordability. The programme lacks concrete expansion targets for wind and solar power.
In a short chapter on hydrogen, the CDU and CSU say the fuel has an important role to play as versatile energy source, flexible storage and important raw material for chemical processes. While the parties aim to eventually produce âgreen hydrogenâ with renewable electricity, it will âaccept also blue hydrogen for a transition periodâ. So-called blue hydrogen is produced from fossil gas, where the CO2 is then captured and stored. The conservatives also say they want to expand gas grids in Germany more quickly and make it hydrogen-ready.
No autobahn speed limit or diesel driving ban
The conservatives emphasise the importance of Germany as an automotive industry location and say that there should be an openness towards all kinds of technologies.
âWe reject a diesel driving ban as well as a general speed limit on the autobahn,â says the manifesto, and calls for Germany to remain the country which âproduces the best cars in the world â with all types of drives.â Aside from e-mobility, synthetic fuels should be used in road transport, say the parties.
Such fuels also play a role in aviation, where alternative fuels should be exempt from the aviation fuel tax. âWe also want to highlight the positive aspects of flying and the innovative strength of aviation again and promote it as a key technology in a targeted manner,â says the manifesto.
Germany as âanchor of stabilityâ in the world
In accordance with Merkel-era policy, CDU and CSU say they aim to âtake on more responsibility internationallyâ and make Germany an âanchor of stabilityâ in the world. They see the U.S. as the most important partner globally, and call for a balanced approach towards China â confronting it with like-minded democracies where necessary, for example to protect intellectual property, high-tech and data, and striving for cooperation where possible.
CDU and CSU pursue the long-term goal of establishing a global emissions trading system, and aim to use trade policy as an instrument to introduce high standards and effective measures for global climate action. They also say that international greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts must partly count towards national climate balances, and that the UN climate change conference COP26 in Glasgow should decide this. âEvery saved tonne of CO2 counts â no matter where it is saved,â says the programme.
â139-pages long refusal to protect us from the climate crisisâ
NGOs and activists criticised the election programme for its lack of ambition and detail. âThis party programme is a 139-pages long refusal to protect us from the climate crisis and meet the 1.5 degree target,â Fridays for Future (FfF) activist Luisa Neubauer , accusing CDU and CSU of not acknowledging âthe biggest crisisâ. The FfF movement chiding the manifesto for failing to naming a CO2 emissions budget for Germany, pulling forward the coal exit date or introducing necessary sustainable agricultural policy.
Executive director of Greenpeace Germany Martin Kaiser said that those who had hoped for a renewal of the CDU/CSU's climate policy âwill shake their heads at the election programme. With vague declarations of intent, the CDU and CSU will not meet the existential threat posed by the climate crisis and the extinction of speciesâ, he .
Sascha MĂźller-Kraenner, executive director of Environmental Action Germany (DUH) âwhatâs striking is whatâs missingâ, singling out a fixed emissions price, concrete renewables expansion targets and an end date for combustion engine cars. âHow exactly does the [CDU/CSU] aim to reach climate neutrality by 2045?â
