Criticism Levied by the Green and Environmental Association Regarding the Report on Climate Change in Transportation
German Green Party and BUND Criticize Ministry of Transport's Climate Strategy
In a critical statement to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Swantje Michaelsen, the transport policy spokeswoman for the Green faction, and Jens Hilgenberg, BUND transport expert, have expressed concern over the Ministry of Transport's approach to achieving climate targets in the transport sector.
The Ministry's expert panel proposed measures such as promoting climate-friendly mobility and infrastructure for road, rail, and air traffic. However, critics, including the Green Party and BUND, argue that concrete plans are still lacking, and the Ministry has shown 'startling cluelessness' and failed to present clear solutions to reduce CO₂ emissions.
The critics point out that the sector is predicted to miss its 2030 climate goals by 167 million tons of CO₂, emphasizing the urgency for action. Michaelsen and Hilgenberg have called for a realignment of investments, urging the transport minister to prioritize reliable financing of rail transport, a clear framework for e-mobility, and the promotion of public transport, cycling, and walking.
Both Michaelsen and Hilgenberg have criticized the Ministry's expert report for its lack of explicit questioning of environmentally harmful subsidies like the company car privilege, the tax advantage for diesel, or the commuter allowance. The report also does not discuss regulatory approaches that could help achieve the climate protection goals in transport, such as a general speed limit.
Furthermore, Michaelsen criticized the report for being vague in strengthening rail transport and securing the financing of the Germany ticket. Hilgenberg sees the final paper of the expert report as only a limited selection of possible climate protection measures in the area of passenger cars and trucks. Both experts believe that the federal government should focus on EU regulations to ensure a swift and reliable switch to electric drive in passenger cars and trucks.
Michaelsen expressed concern that the current budget draft provides for investments in tax gifts and new highways instead of the drive and transport transition. She states that the report falls short in many areas necessary for climate action. Hilgenberg also shares this sentiment, expressing a lack of adequate and promptly implementable measures to meet the climate protection goals in transport.
Both Michaelsen and Hilgenberg believe it is important for the federal government to advocate for ambitious EU regulations to switch to electric drive and reduce the national climate protection gap in transport. Their criticisms highlight the need for a more comprehensive and urgent approach to addressing climate change in the transport sector.
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