Chancellor Merz and the climate: Hopefully not the last good deed for climate protection

It's rare that Friedrich Merz does something for the climate. He has just railed against the CO2 rules for the car industry in the European Union. At crucial moments, he always stood behind his Economics Minister Katherina Reiche, even though she boycotted the energy transition in Germany and presumably lobbied against the methane regulation at the EU level. The summit at the 31st World Climate Conference (COP), which runs from November 9th to 20th in Antalya, Turkey, was not worth the trip for Merz.

And yet the Chancellor did climate protection a great service last week: He campaigned for European emissions trading to remain in place.

Merz is not necessarily taking a big step forward in terms of climate policy, but is just trying not to take any steps backwards. Nevertheless, his efforts are a ray of hope at a time when both the federal government and the EU are attracting attention with their backwards actions on climate policy.

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It was only in the summer that the EU states and the European Parliament defused the planned emissions trading for the areas of buildings and transport - for example for petrol and diesel, heating oil and natural gas - and postponed it from the beginning of 2027 to 2028. If the EU were to postpone the mechanism again or weaken it even further, it would practically completely dismantle the framework of its climate policy.

So it's good that Merz wants to prevent that. But that doesn't mean that he can now retire satisfied with his efforts to achieve a minimum level of climate protection.

If European emissions trading is to have its full effect, if it is to make households and industry more climate-friendly, the member states - including Germany - must, for example, expand the infrastructure for renewable energies. If a global electrification goal is set at the World Climate Conference and the German delegation on site advocates that the electricity for this must come from renewable sources - then this focus on green electricity must also be reflected in federal policy.

And when UN climate chief Simon Stiell calls for a rapid reduction in methane emissions at the conference in Antalya, Germany must agree with him - ministers will then no longer be allowed to slow down the relevant EU legislation. Finally: If the climate crisis, whose destructive consequences have long been felt, is to be combated internationally, the German state must also live up to its responsibilities here. He must provide enough money for climate adaptation in other countries.

Even if Merz himself does not fly to Turkey for the UN climate conference, the federal government should use the opportunity to give new impetus to its weakening climate policy. And ensure that Merz’s promotion of emissions trading was not his last good deed for climate protection.