Environmental policy | With wealth tax for socially just climate protection

Ceremonial opening of a renovated wind farm near Karstädt on the state border between Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: CDU Mayor Udo Staeck (2nd from right) is there. Photo: ENGIE/Guido Kollmeier At least seven times in a Bundestag debate at the end of the week, MPs from democratic factions referred to a figure from the Robert Koch Institute: In the summer of 2026, there were around 16,000 additional heat-related deaths in Germany. The reason for the debate were proposals from the Greens and the Left to anchor a joint task of “climate adaptation and nature conservation” or “climate adaptation and heat protection” in the Basic Law.

The Union and the SPD could not openly reject the proposal, and not just because of the heat deaths. After all, their coalition agreement contains a review order for such a new joint task. While SPD speakers openly sympathized with the proposal, CDU speakers appeared to waver - from open rejection to admitting that a joint task could be a building block for climate adaptation. In the end, not only the Union, but also the SPD rejected the Greens' proposal in a roll-call vote. The Left's proposal went to committee and will eventually end up in the trash. Of course, the government factions had not presented anything of their own on climate adaptation or heat protection.

The renowned environmental lawyer Sabine Schlacke from the University of Greifswald also believes that the fact that after every heat wave politics goes back to everyday business is fatal: "In cities and also in rural areas, we need more funding for heat protection measures such as greening public spaces, water collection systems - keyword sponge city - as well as the rewetting of degraded moorland outdoors," emphasizes the long-standing member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Global Environmental Change (WBGU).

Schlacke is co-author of a new report that the Federal Government's advisory committee has now presented under the title "Social cohesion strengthens security". The work is part of a project with which the WBGU is researching how new security can be gained in a world situation characterized by crises and upheavals. In the partial report now presented, the advisory board confirms that global threats such as climate change can only be overcome collectively - at the same time, the scientists are concerned that society is deeply divided over the concepts for dealing with the risks. They emphasize that it is crucial to counteract these tendencies towards division in order to ensure the ability of democratic societies to act.

The report points out that support for climate policy measures increases if they are perceived as fair. However, a reduction in poverty and socioeconomic inequality alone does not automatically lead to greater acceptance of climate policy, it continues. This also requires better community participation and political communication strategies.

For her part, Sabine Schlacke emphasizes that it should not be ignored that the consequences of man-made climate change also have a social dimension. Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in particular are disproportionately confronted with the burden of climate impacts. “These people often cannot afford to cool their homes or further reduce CO2 emissions, even though they are often among those who cause the lowest emissions,” says Schlacke.

Consequently, the WBGU recommends in the report that environmental and especially climate policy be more closely linked to social policy. This requires a closer structural link between the departments at ministerial level. To this end, the committee proposes setting up an interministerial working group to link social policy issues with environmental and climate policy. From Schlacke's point of view, it would also be good to involve states and municipalities because: "They have to bear the financial costs."

The WBGU member advises against the idea of ​​combining environmental or climate policy with social policy in one ministry. "That wouldn't work given the breadth of the topics."

In order to link social and climate policy, the WBGU lists many well-known instruments in the report - such as socially staggered climate money or climate social plans. The Advisory Board is also in favor of strengthening the wealth creation of lower and middle income groups as well as a reform of the taxation of inheritances and gifts. It should also be examined how a wealth tax can be designed in an economically efficient and low-bureaucracy manner in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Constitutional Court.

Sabine Schlacke does not see the fact that much of it is well known as a shortcoming. “Just because findings are not new does not mean that they cannot be repeated,” she replies.

The lawyer also sees real progress. She is optimistic about the participation of citizens and communities in wind energy projects in the countries. There are earmarking clauses for the use of the funds, for example for the renovation of municipal buildings or for culture and education at the municipal level.

However, the WBGU's suggestions often remain vague. The demand to reduce the price of the Germany ticket to a socially acceptable 29 euros is not reflected in the report. Schlacke defends this. On the one hand, this specific measure could be derived from the recommendations given with good reasons. On the other hand, such a concrete policy recommendation would exceed the mandate of the committee. “It is ultimately up to politicians to decide what the stronger cooperation we are calling for between social and climate policy can look like,” explains the lawyer.

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