Germany scraps binding climate targets for individual sectors, leaving only overall targets

The German parliament approved a controversial reform of key legislation aimed at achieving climate targets, scrapping binding targets for individual sectors. The changes have outraged a number of non-governmental organisations, which say they will delay cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and are therefore “unconstitutional”.

The government’s reform of the Climate Action Act weakens individual ministries’ responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in their sectors by focusing solely on the country’s overall ambitions to cut emissions. Germany’s three-party coalition of the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP) has a majority in parliament, and approval was expected.

“With this legislative change, the German government is evading its climate policy obligations and putting climate protection off into the distant future,” said Stefanie Langkamp, head of policy at the Climate Alliance, a network of around 150 organisations including environmental groups, development organisations, churches, trade unions and consumer associations.

“It is unconstitutional and violates the 2021 ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court because it restricts the freedom of future generations,” Langkamp added.

Germany’s Climate Action Act stipulates that the country must achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045 and meet interim emissions reduction targets: 65% by 2030 and 88% by 2040 compared with 1990 levels.

Until now, in addition to its overall targets, Germany had also set annual emissions limits for individual economic sectors through 2030. Under the reform, exceeding the limit in a particular sector would no longer mean that the responsible ministry must immediately draw up a programme to put that sector back on track.

The transport ministry, led by the FDP, is particularly far behind on decarbonising the sector, and critics say the reform is primarily intended to ease pressure on it.

“Although climate protection measures in the transport sector are essential if we are to achieve climate neutrality by 2045, the coalition is using this legislative reform, under pressure from the FDP, to avoid taking further action,” Langkamp said.

Supporters of the reform argued that it would ensure emissions could be cut wherever this is most effective, and that the changes would not allow any additional greenhouse gas emissions because the overall targets would remain in place.

The environmental NGO Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) said Germany now lacked an effective law to ensure the necessary level of climate protection. The youth climate group Fridays for Future accused the government of willingly putting the rights of future generations at risk. Several NGOs said they would take legal action against the reform, which still has to be considered by the Bundesrat (Federal Council).