Diesel, Hybrid or Electric - Our politicians travel so sustainably through the country
Private jets and limousines should remain in the garage. Annalena Baerbock promised before taking office that she would travel more by train and, if necessary, commercial flights instead. Truthful or naive? It's unclear. What is certain today is that Germany's green Foreign Minister has not adhered to this. In her first year alone, she traveled at least one hundred times through the Federal Republic and abroad. She flew commercial four times and took the train twice, according to the media, citing the Foreign Office.
Baerbock had to extract one more "tsk tsk" from that. Others are more relaxed. For example, Friedrich Merz flew to Christian Lindner's wedding in Sylt with a private jet. Or former Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, who jumped into the helicopter for a brief visit with the troops in Northern Germany, with her son in tow. For politicians from the Berlin Senate, such trips with the government car have long been a habit: Since 2022, they have been allowed to use their cars for vacation trips.
Government cars harm the environment and climate – as a study by the German Environmental Aid (DUH) shows. The organization compiled the CO2 emissions of the vehicles of 252 politicians throughout Germany in a ranking. If a politician owns multiple government cars, only the most environmentally damaging one was considered.
Disappointing result: The majority fails the DUH test. Since the Diesel Emissions Scandal, the EU has tightened emission limits. Cars can only emit 95 grams per kilometer. However, nearly three quarters of the government cars exceed the European fleet limit, emitting significantly more CO2 than an average car in Germany should according to regulations.
Few Electrics, Many Combustion Engines, and More Plug-ins
73 interviewees were driven in combustion engine cars. The most environmentally damaging cars are in the garages of NRW Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU), NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU), and Berlin Senator for the Interior Iris Spranger (SPD). Only six politicians use pure electric cars, including Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens), Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens), and Hamburg's First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD).
According to DUH analysis, plug-in hybrids are the most popular. Cars with combustion engines and batteries. The automobile industry praises them as a compromise because they can be used electrically in cities and thus do not harm the urban climate further. At the same time, they can also comfortably cover long distances with a gasoline or diesel engine.
For critics, they are an ecological disaster. Unlike electric cars, the drivers are not forced to charge the vehicles regularly. If the battery is empty or there is no charging station at hand, one drives less eco-friendly. Studies show that plug-in hybrids are predominantly driven in the combustion engine mode. Depending on the motor and driving behavior, the cars emit more CO2 than pure diesel or gasoline cars, according to an ADAC evaluation. For the DUH study, the authors assumed the worst-case scenario, that they were driven in the combustion engine mode. Whether the top politicians actually drive like that is uncertain.
The study presents a clear picture, yet the statistics are not fully conclusive. Particularly endangered politicians' vehicles, such as those of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Economics Minister Robert Habeck, Finance Minister Christian Lindner, or Annalena Baerbock, did not enter the study's calculations. Moreover, the study did not examine how frequently politicians use their vehicles or how far they travel in them. The more climate-damaging flight journeys were also not considered.
Two eco-friendly state leaders
No single state government in Germany manages to meet European emissions standards. In some places, the values are more than double the limit.
The situation is similar among state leaders. Hamburg's First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) and Baden-Württemberg's Minister-President Winfried Kretschmer are the only ones, according to the investigation, who adhere to European guidelines. Bremen's Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte (SPD) ranks third. His service vehicle emits 167 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Hendrick Wüst (CDU) emits more than double that: 380 grams per kilometer.
Rare but present: politicians with a service bicycle. The German Environmental Aid lists three, including Bremen's Environment Minister and two officials from Habeck's Economic and Climate Ministry. Hamburg's Transport Minister, according to the ranking, neither has a service vehicle nor a service bicycle. He therefore moves around either on foot or using public transportation.
There are indeed eco-friendly politicians in the political landscape – and thus enough role models for colleagues who also like to use their cars and the like privately.
Baerbock could consider traveling more in her service vehicle or on a bicycle to reduce her carbon footprint, aligning with her environmental values. Germany should invest more in the development and promotion of electric service vehicles to support climate protection efforts. The use of plug-in hybrids by politicians should be discouraged due to their potential to emit more CO2 than traditional cars, as suggested by several studies.
