Federal Government's new policy under fire from CCS
German Environmental Group Criticizes Carbon Capture and Storage Act Amendment
The Bund for Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND), one of the largest environmental associations in the country with around 674,000 members and supporters, has criticized the recent amendment to the Carbon Dioxide Storage Act (KSpG or CCS Act). The organization views the reform as problematic for climate protection and biodiversity.
The amendment aims to facilitate large-scale carbon dioxide storage and transport infrastructure, including enabling projects to be considered of "overriding public interest," which simplifies planning and permits CCS-related actions. However, BUND argues that this approach may prioritize CCS infrastructure over environmental and climate safeguards, potentially threatening ecosystems and natural conservation goals while delaying the switch to renewables.
According to Patrick Rohde, deputy managing director of politics at BUND, the government's decision steers deeper into the fossil fuel dead end with the CCS amendment. Rohde issued a statement on August 6, 2025, at 094, expressing his concerns.
BUND opposes the promotion of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies that may serve as a distraction from the necessary rapid expansion of renewable energies and the reduction of fossil fuel use. They argue that relying on CCS risks perpetuating fossil fuel dependency and delaying more sustainable climate solutions.
While industry welcomes the law reform as creating legal certainty and enabling climate action through CCS, environmental groups like BUND remain skeptical, fearing that CCS is a risky, unproven technology that could lock in fossil fuel emissions rather than achieve genuine climate neutrality.
In a statement, BUND demands effective and fair climate protection measures for real CO2 reduction, especially in the building and transport sectors. They can be contacted via email at [email protected], phone at 0151- 67506242 or 030-27586520. BUND can also be found on Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook.
The Bundestag is set to pass the amendment to the Carbon Dioxide Storage Act this fall. The decision concerning the amendment to the CCS Act has been criticized for simplifying expropriations and restricting litigation options, which BUND argues undermines good democratic procedures. The gas industry, on the other hand, is rejoicing at the prospect of extensive subsidies and simplified expropriations.
BUND is independent of politics and the economy, financed by donations and membership fees. The organization has been involved in the criticism of the federal government's decision, joining other environmental groups in expressing concerns about the CCS Act amendment's potential impact on climate protection and biodiversity.
- The criticism from Germany's Environmental Group, BUND, extends beyond just the Carbon Capture and Storage Act Amendment, as they vehemently oppose the promotion of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, viewing them as a potentially distracting tactic from the rapid expansion of renewable energies and the reduction of fossil fuel use.
- Interestingly, while the gas industry welcomes the law reform as creating legal certainty and enabling climate action through CCS, environmental groups such as BUND remain skeptical, suggesting that CCS technology could lock in fossil fuel emissions rather than achieve genuine climate neutrality.
- In the realm of policy-and-legislation, BUND has expressed concerns about the CCS Act amendment's potential impact on climate protection and biodiversity, particularly the simplification of expropriations and restrictions on litigation options, which they argue undermine democratic procedures.
