Habeck on criticism from environmental organizations - "They are not mad at the Greens"

Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) has defended the agreements of the multi-day coalition committee on climate and infrastructure policy against criticism. The decisive factor is "that the government has fought its way back to being able to act," said Habeck in the ZDF "Heute Journal". Concessions were necessary. "Isn't it actually the case that one can even be almost proud that we have the power to get a government working again? Well, I don't even know where the accusation is supposed to be," Habeck continued.

"We're just a discussion-friendly party with supporters who are very curious," said Habeck to allegations that environmental groups in particular had produced. "In any case, they are not mad at the Greens," said the minister with conviction. The fact that more was not achieved was not because "the Greens did not fight hard for more, but that in the end we were faced with a starting position where we had to find a solution for all the stuck problems." And this solution is been found - even if "there are points in it that do not get my applause". But there are also good things "that bring us forward" and solutions that further ensure strict climate protection, for example with the Climate Protection Act.

After almost 30 hours of marathon deliberations, the traffic light parties agreed on a common course in climate and infrastructure policy on Tuesday evening. The resolutions provide for faster planning processes for major infrastructure projects, including 144 highway projects, as well as for rail, power grids and renewable energy. In addition, the Climate Protection Act is to be changed in key points. The strict annual sector targets for greenhouse gas emissions, for example for transport or the building sector, are to be relaxed. In the future, it should be possible to compensate for missed targets in one sector in another.

The Greens were only able to push through a small part of their positions against the SPD and FDP. Environmentalists had sharply criticized the results of the multi-day coalition committee. In particular, the planned softening of the Federal Climate Protection Act is a disaster, criticized the German Environmental Aid (DUH) on Tuesday. “This anti-climate protection coalition is seriously laying hands on the Federal Climate Protection Act. In doing so, she sins against all future generations," said DUH Federal Managing Director Jürgen Resch.

Greenpeace made similar points: "By giving up the obligation to implement each individual sector goal, Chancellor Scholz (...) is acknowledging that his party's greatest climate policy success, the Climate Protection Act, will be gutted," explained Martin Kaiser, CEO of Greenpeace Germany. “This relieves Transport Minister Wissing, of all people, of responsibility when it comes to climate protection. If 144 additional climate-damaging motorway projects are to be paved through the country at an accelerated rate, the climate will be driven further against the wall.” The “traffic light marathon” did “far too little” to climate protection, even throwing it back “in important places”.

The Green Youth also clearly criticized the decisions of the coalition round. The federal spokesman for the Green Youth, Timon Dzienus, described the results to the editorial network Germany (RND) as "disappointing overall". With a view to the leaders of the SPD and FDP, he raised the accusation: "Olaf Scholz and Christian Lindner have fraternized against climate protection." "Actually, we have to get faster with climate protection. In fact, we are now getting faster in expanding the Autobahn. This is going in the wrong direction,” Dzienus continues. The coalition does not live up to its historical responsibility. "That worries me."

Habeck also commented on the program about the further development of the decision to accelerate planning. The Economics Minister believes it is possible that this will be slowed down by continuing the lengthy discussion process of the traffic light coalition at state level. "There is a risk, of course," said the Green politician. The background is that an overriding public interest in accelerated infrastructure planning should be established in agreement with the country concerned.

"Of course, a lot of the implementation takes place at state or municipal level," said Habeck. This applies to the motorway expansion originally rejected by the Greens as well as to nature and environmental protection, which is also a matter for the federal states. From Habeck's point of view, it is therefore important that the three traffic light parties have an appropriate effect on the lower levels.

He hopes that "respect for what we actually have to deal with will also help us to advise or motivate our levels in such a way that we say: Ok, now forward, we have agreed, now we can do something else hope and expect and work towards making agreements happen.”

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