Green alarm: CDU plan endangers Germany's future as an industrial country!

The Greens have sharply criticized the CDU and CSU's plans to promote economic growth. Party leader Felix Banaszak described these approaches as backwards and dangerous, especially with regard to climate protection. He warned that the measures taken by CDU leader Friedrich Merz and CSU chairman Markus Söder could endanger the livelihoods of future generations and Germany as a business location.

Banaszak expressed concerns that the CDU and CSU wanted to reverse progress that had already been made in climate protection. He warned that this development could turn Germany into an “industrial museum”. In particular, he focused on the increase in the share of renewable energy over the last three years and promised that the Greens would maintain their position on climate protection. He also sharply criticized possible weakening of the climate targets in Bavaria, where the cabinet has decided on a target year of 2045.

Investment requirements for climate neutrality

The Federation of German Industries (BDI) has called for massive investments in climate-neutral modernization and sees an additional government financing requirement of up to 400 billion euros over ten years as necessary. These investments should flow into transport routes, daycare centers, schools, housing and climate protection. The CDU also plans to reduce electricity prices by at least five cents per kilowatt hour by reducing electricity taxes and network fees. Another goal of the CDU is to withdraw the ban on internal combustion engines in order to strengthen the automotive industry.

In a further context, Holger Lösch, BDI deputy general manager, emphasized with regard to the EU climate target for 2040 that climate protection is necessary in combination with economic growth and new business models. He pointed out that these goals should not come at the expense of the competitiveness of the European economy. Technical feasibility, economic viability and security of supply are crucial for politics. The BDI sees the climate-neutral transformation as a process that requires enormous investments in a short period of time in order to build and expand the necessary infrastructure.

Both positions illustrate the importance of finding solutions that combine both growth and climate protection. This is particularly relevant as the EU currently produces around eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, although the trend is falling. Achieving significant global reductions requires comprehensive EU action that ensures a combination of economic growth and effective climate protection strategies.