SPD at odds with itself over level of ambition in climate policy to regain ground

The German Social Democrats (SPD) have made climate policy one of the key topics during a special conference ("debate camp") following defeats in two state elections in which the federal government coalition party suffered major voter losses, Michael Schlieben writes for Zeit Online. An influential inner-party group wants to make climate and environmental policy a central strength of the SPD for the next years and work towards an “ecologic-social transition” backed by billions of euros in state investments, he writes. “The Green Party would certainly like all of this,” Schlieben writes with a view to the many voters that swapped their SPD vote for a Green one in the latest elections. However, others in the traditionally worker-affiliated party are wary when it comes to adopting green policies and fear a “tackling of lignite” would betray loyal voter groups. The SPD’s internal dissent about the level of ambition in climate policy is also illustrated by environment minister Svenja Schulze and finance minister Olaf Scholz and their inconsistency over the introduction of a CO₂ price in Germany, the article says.

Find the article in German here.