Traffic - Climate protection: time is running out for Wissing
For Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), time is running out: According to the current legislative procedure, he should present an emergency program for more climate protection in the transport sector by Monday. This obligation for Wissing would expire with the reform of the Federal Climate Protection Law, which has not yet been signed by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Therefore, it is not in force.
The testing of the reform is still ongoing, a spokesperson for Steinmeier told the German Press Agency in Berlin. The goal is to complete this by the beginning of the summer break in mid-July.
The Expert Council for Climate Issues determined in April that the transport sector had again missed its annual target and emitted significantly more greenhouse gases than planned. With the reform of the Climate Protection Law, the focus should no longer be on achieving targets in individual sectors, but on overall savings across all sectors.
This does not change anything about the climate targets themselves: Germany is still aiming to become greenhouse gas neutral by 2045, meaning not emitting more greenhouse gases than can be absorbed by sinks.
Federal Climate Protection Law
- Volker Wissing, the Federal Transport Minister from the FDP, is under pressure to present an immediate program for climate protection in the transport sector by Monday, as per the current legislative procedure in Germany.
- The obligation for Wissing to present this emergency program is tied to the reform of the Federal Climate Protection Law, which has not yet been signed by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
- In Berlin, a spokesperson for Steinmeier informed the German Press Agency that the testing of the reform is still ongoing and aims to be completed by the beginning of the summer break in mid-July.
- In April, the Expert Council for Climate Issues in Germany determined that the transport sector had once again missed its annual target, emitting significantly more greenhouse gases than planned.
- Despite this setback, Germany remains committed to its climate targets, aiming to become greenhouse gas neutral by 2045, meaning not emitting more greenhouse gases than can be absorbed by sinks.
- The Federal Council is closely monitoring the situation, as the reform of the Federal Climate Protection Law could have significant implications for Germany's climate protection efforts and its legal situation in the transport sector, under the leadership of Volker Wissing and FDP.
