Web database of sustainable settlements and neighbourhoods

Higher CO2 price for heat and transport from January 2021

Bundestag approves amendment to law. Citizens will be relieved from revenues

From 1 January 2021, climate-damaging fossil fuels will be subject to a price of 25 euros per tonne of CO2 is proven. This means that oil and diesel will become more expensive by 7.9 cents per litre, petrol by 7 cents per litre and natural gas by 0.6 cents per kilowatt hour. Citizens will be relieved of the additional costs, among other things, by a reduction in the price of electricity. The amendment, which had already been passed by the Bundestag on Thursday, also passed the Bundesrat today. The Fuel Emission Trading Act (BEHG) is designed to reduce CO2-price in the form of national certificate trading for the heating and transport sectors.

Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze: "The CO2-price is coming. It will be crucial for success that there are good and affordable alternatives to heating oil, natural gas, petrol or diesel. That's why we're giving the revenue from the CO2The price is returned to the citizens in several ways: through a reduction in the price of electricity or through subsidies for new climate-friendly heating systems, for example. The goal is not to collect more money - the goal is to ensure that switching to climate-friendly alternatives is also the right choice for the wallet."

The amendment to the law that has now been passed implements the agreements reached by the Mediation Committee on 18 December 2019 and sets a new price path, which is set at €25 per tonne of CO2 will start on January 1, 2021. In 2026, the fixed price will move into a price corridor of 55 to 65 euros per tonne of CO2 about. An evaluation in 2025 will show whether free pricing will be applied in subsequent years. The new system covers all of Germany's fuel emissions insofar as they are not included under the EU-emissions trading (EUETS) fall.

In parallel, higher compensation measures for citizens and affected companies will be implemented. The revenues of the national emissions trading system will be used in particular for the relief of the EEG-surcharge, a core component of the electricity price. Households and companies are thus relieved in a targeted manner. The reduction in the electricity price also makes the switch to electricity-based alternatives such as electric cars or heat pumps more financially attractive. In addition, the German government is promoting the climate-friendly alternatives, for example by investing more in PUBLIC TRANSPORTrail network and charging infrastructure, as well as through well-funded subsidy programmes for building renovation and climate-friendly heating.

The Law download epub:
http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/19/199/1919929.pdf

Source: BMU press release No. 177/20 of 09.10.2020 


Keywords: Car Free, Construction and operating costs, Building materials / Construction, Procurement, DE-News, Renewable, Wood construction, Climate protection, Mobility, Environmental policy, Economics
en_GB