Approval of Climate Action Plan 2050 uncertain

The approval of the government’s long-awaited Climate Action Plan 2050 in cabinet in the coming weeks remains uncertain, according to the environment ministry. “We would like to have a Climate Action Plan before the start of the COP 22 in Marrakesh, but not at any price,” State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth said at an event on Thursday evening. “Let’s see what the coming days will bring.” He added it was preferable to have an ambitious plan at a later date instead of an early plan that was weak, adding that Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks was not willing to send a weak plan to cabinet for approval.
Earlier, more ambitious drafts of the environment ministry’s Climate Action Plan 2050 had been watered-down by the economics ministry and Angela Merkel’s chancellery and the plan currently faces strong opposition from conservative members of parliament. The main points of contention include possible emission reduction targets for each sector (energy, transport, industry, buildings, agriculture), and establishing a commission that would deal with the question of a German coal exit.

Also, read the CLEW article Deep divisions persist over German climate plan, coal exit and the CLEW factsheet Germany’s trimmed-down Climate Action Plan for background.