Climate money debate: consumer advocates demand 139 euro refund for everyone
"The CO2 price creates an incentive for climate-friendly behavior," explained vzbv boss Ramona Pop. However, she demanded that the federal government refund the revenue from this to all consumers "via a climate money". "Otherwise, the CO2 tax will be an additional financial burden for people in addition to the high energy prices."
According to the calculations of the consumer advocates, which were first reported on Thursday by ARD-Hauptstadtstudio, private households have made around three quarters of the payments for the CO2 levy since 2021. The remaining quarter comes from companies, which, according to vzbv, ultimately pass these amounts on indirectly to private consumers through their product prices.
If the German government were to refund the entire €11.4 billion collected as climate money to citizens, this would amount to a payout of €139 per person for 82 million people in Germany - or €556 for a family of four.
According to ARD-Hauptstadtstudio, the Federal Ministry of Economics pointed out, with regard to the vzbv's calculations, that the additional income from the CO2 price had flowed into the climate and transformation fund and had therefore also ended up with the citizens: for example through funding programs for building renovation and heating replacement, energy advice or e-car funding.
This has provided targeted support for consumers. In addition, the CO2 price was not increased this year as planned in order to relieve the burden on people.
The CO2 price was introduced in January 2021 by the then grand coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD and aims to make the consumption of fossil fuels increasingly unattractive in the fight against climate change and to encourage a switch to more climate-friendly alternatives. This will result in higher costs for consumers, for example for petrol and diesel.
The traffic light coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP therefore proposed a climate money to compensate for this in their coalition agreement. However, there is still no date for its introduction.
Calls for the climate money have recently become louder again, as the "traffic light" coalition decided last week to raise the CO2 price more sharply on January 1 to finance the 2024 budget. Instead of 30 to 40 euros, it will now be increased to 45 euros. This will generate additional revenue of 1.3 billion euros per year for the state.
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- Ramona Pop, the vzbv boss, demanded that the Federal Government refund the revenue from the CO2 price to consumers as a form of "climate money".
- According to ARD-Hauptstadtstudio, private households have paid around three quarters of the CO2 levy payments since 2021, with companies making up the remaining quarter.
- If the German government were to refund the entire €11.4 billion collected as climate money to citizens, it would result in a payout of €139 per person for 82 million people in Germany.
- The Federal Ministry of Economics responded to the vzbv's calculations, stating that the additional income from the CO2 price had flowed into the climate and transformation fund and benefited citizens.
- For example, funding programs for building renovation and heating replacement, energy advice, and e-car funding have provided targeted support for consumers.
- The CO2 price was introduced in January 2021 by the CDU/CSU and SPD, with the intention to make fossil fuel consumption less attractive and encourage a shift to more climate-friendly alternatives.
- Ramona Pop, the consumer protector of verbraucherzentrale bundesverband, stated that unless the CO2 tax revenue is refunded to consumers, it will be an additional financial burden on people amidst high energy prices.
Source: www.stern.de
