New transport minister called on to implement climate-friendly programme in first 100 days

A number of environmental organisations, trade unions and others have called on Germany’s new transport minister, Patrick Schnieder, to commit to sustainable local and regional transport in his first 100 days in office.

In a paper, the organisations have demanded an increase to 15 billion euros of funding for regional transport and 4 billion euros for municipal transport per year. There should also be a medium-term fund, the organisations wrote, for the modernisation and expansion of local public transport. “We call on the new transport minister to trigger an investment boom for expansion and modernisation in order to strengthen public transport and guarantee millions of people safe, climate-friendly and affordable mobility,” said Stefanie Langkamp, political director of NGO umbrella organisation Climate Alliance Germany.

Germany's new coalition government has set up a debt-financed special fund worth 500 billion euros for infrastructure and climate projects, but has yet to decide on the projects to fund.

To get the expansion and modernisation of public transport infrastructure off the ground, the group called on the government to launch an implementation plan by the first conference of state transport ministers in the autumn 2025, produced in consultation with federal states, environmental and social organisations, and trade unions. Better job conditions to reduce staff shortages in the sector and securing the long-term future of the flat rate Deutschlandticket were also highlighted as important points to get more people using public transport. "Strong local and regional public transport is the backbone of mobility for a large part of the population and is crucial for the economy, participation and climate protection,” said Langkamp.

Schnieder, however, has shown little appetite for climate-centric reforms and is unlikely to kickstart the policy U-turn government advisors say is necessary to clean up the transport sector. The new government has planned fresh incentives for e-car purchases, as well as a commitment to maintain the Deutschlandticket and an increase in rail investments. Germany is currently lagging behind its energy transition targets in the mobility sector, often branded the “problem child” of climate policy in the country.