Climate protection advocates urge the German administration to take further action within the transportation industry.
The so-called "financial experts" urge the German government to take stronger action to safeguard the climate in the transportation sector and have suggested various measures, including implementing a vehicle toll. "Increased spending is necessary to enhance road infrastructure," stated Monika Schnitzer, Chairperson of the Federal Government's Economic Advisory Council, during a speech in Berlin on Wednesday.
"We advocate utilizing user financing, like a distance-based vehicle toll."
The poor condition of the German transport system - "be it the railway or road network" - poses a significant obstacle for Germany as a business hub, according to Schnitzer. Furthermore, decarbonizing transportation is a major concern. The amended Climate Protection Act, which no longer allows for sector-specific climate protection objectives, does not mitigate this issue.
Due to pressure from the FDP and its Federal Minister of Transport Volker Wissing, the German government eased the stringent targets for decreasing CO2 emissions in various economic sectors. These sectors, such as building and transportation, had previously frequently failed to meet their objectives. In the future, achieving climate targets overall will be crucial, and sectors can somewhat compensate for the shortcomings of others.
Schnitzer mentioned the EU regulations in this context. "Nonetheless, Germany remains obligated to reduce emissions in both the transport and construction sectors due to the European Effort Sharing Regulation," she protested. "Irrespective of how much emissions are reduced in the other sectors".
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- Economists, such as Monika Schnitzer, have suggested implementing a car toll as a measure to strengthen the Federal Government's efforts in climate protection within the transport sector.
- The transportation sector, which is a significant contributor to climate emissions, requires increased investment in infrastructure, according to Schnitzer, who also advocates for user financing, like a distance-based vehicle toll.
- Despite the government easing targets for reducing CO2 emissions in sectors like transportation, Schnitzer emphasizes that Germany is still obligated to reduce emissions in these sectors due to EU regulations, as stated in the European Effort Sharing Regulation.
Source: www.ntv.de
