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 (EU–ETS) 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 City Makes Future as a System. A book by Klaus Burmeister and Ben Rodenhäuser about the city as a real laboratory for living and doing business.
On the basis of four main topics (environment/sustainability, technology/networking, urban culture/participation and social issues/inequality) Burmeister/Rodenhäuser Ten fields of actionTheir potentials, but also risks, for the development of urban spaces are explored.
Article by "ProZukunft" from 12.10.2016: www.prozukunft.org/v1/2016/10/stadt-macht-zukunft
Other countries are leading the way: Spain adopts 30 km/h speed limit in cities; French cities with 30 km/h speed limit have 70 percent fewer fatal accidents
Federal government fails "Vision Zero" and ignores 30 km/h as an immediate measure in key points paper for new road safety programme
Current United Nations Road Safety Week identifies reduction of speed limit to 30 km/h in built-up areas as key measure to protect lives
Berlin, 19.5.2021: The German Environmental Aid (DUH) renews its demand for a reduced speed limit of 30 km/h in built-up areas as an immediate measure to prevent traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Last week, Spain reduced the speed limit on main roads to 30 km/h with immediate effect. The United Nations Road Safety Week is currently underway under the slogan #love30. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also called for a global 30 km/h speed limit in towns and villages.
To do this Jürgen Resch, federal managing director of DUH: "More and more countries are leading the way and proving that 30 km/h in built-up areas not only reduces the number and severity of traffic accidents, but also reduces noise pollution, improves air quality and enhances the quality of life. In our neighbouring country France, 30 km/h speed limits have already been in force in 200 cities since 2020 and have led to a 70 percent reduction in fatal accidents there. Our call for 30 km/h in built-up areas, which is now also supported by the World Health Organization, is consistent and should be implemented in Germany before the end of 2021. It is now well known that Mr Scheuer is not adopting any sensible measures to increase road safety. However, at least from the Greens we expect a clear positioning here: no coalition agreement without 30 km/h in our cities!"
The rapid implementation of 30 km/h is particularly urgent because the German government has failed miserably with the "Vision Zero" goal enshrined in the coalition agreement. By 2020, the number of accident fatalities was supposed to be reduced by 40 percent. With the measures taken by the Federal Government, there has only been a meagre 25 percent reduction in accident fatalities since 2010. Since the end of 2020, moreover, Germany has had to manage entirely without a current road safety programme because the old programme has expired. Nevertheless, the federal government's key issues paper, which serves as the basis for the new road safety programme 2021-2030, completely ignores a reduction in the speed limit as a solution.
In its 2.10.2017 published opinion the German Advisory Council on the Environment calls on the incoming German government to initiate the coal phase-out without delay. The upcoming legislative period offers the last chance to set the course for an appropriate implementation of the Paris climate goals in Germany.
"Germany must reduce power generation from coal as quickly as possible and end it in the medium term, otherwise the climate targets in Germany cannot be achieved. The structurally compatible coal phase-out should therefore be initiated immediately. The last power plant must be taken off the grid in 20 years at the latest," explains Prof. Claudia Kemfert.
The basis of the coal phase-out should be a budget of the total amount of greenhouse gases that may still be emitted by coal-fired power plants until their final shutdown. This amount should be fixed by law. "From a scientific point of view, the remaining emissions budget for coal-fired power generation in Germany should be 2,000 megatonnes of CO2 Prof. Wolfgang Lucht specifies.
In its report, the SRU proposes a phase-out in three phases: The most emission-intensive power plants should be taken off the grid by 2020. On this basis, more modern plants could continue to operate at reduced capacity until about 2030 to ensure security of supply and to preserve jobs. In the 2030s, these power plants should then also be decommissioned. The federal government must now define the framework for this.
Climate protection and the shaping of structural change must go hand in hand. A long-term and structured phase-out path offers those affected planning security and can ensure that the burden is shared as fairly as possible. The phase-out path and its structural policy support should therefore be discussed in a commission together with the affected regions, companies, trade unions and environmental protection associations.
The German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) has been advising the German government on environmental policy issues for almost 45 years. The Council's composition of seven professors from different disciplines ensures a scientifically independent and comprehensive assessment, both from a scientific and technical perspective as well as from an economic, legal and health science perspective.
The Council currently consists of the following members:
Prof. Dr Claudia Hornberg (Chair), Bielefeld University
Prof. Dr Manfred Niekisch (Vice-Chairman), Goethe University and Frankfurt Zoological Garden
Prof. Dr. Christian Calliess, Free University of Berlin
Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert, Hertie School of Governance and German Institute for Economic Research
Prof. Dr Wolfgang Lucht, Humboldt University Berlin and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lamia Messari-Becker, University of Siegen
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Vera Susanne Rotter, Technical University Berlin
German Advisory Council on the Environment, Berlin www.umweltrat.de
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