Peter Altmaier ventured out of the cover, after the climate summit in Katowice came to an end. The country’s need for “a new start-up by politics and the economy,” said the Federal Minister for economic Affairs in Saarland radio, because the results of Katowice was not enough”, unfortunately, at all, to stop climate change”. Then he doused his message with the Pathos, in an Interview with the Rheinische Post: “Otherwise, we sin in the future of the young Generation,” he said. And because it should be so for a Minister of the economy, he added: Will be made available to the climate protection properly, he could create more jobs than it cost.

Altmaier is absolutely right – Germany is not doing enough for climate protection, and the government would do more, could result in net new jobs. Surprisingly – and annoyingly – are his Comments anyway. He is the Minister of the economy. Thus, Altmaier, belongs to exactly the same Federal government that sinned, according to Altmaier, especially to the young Generation. It would be to him and to the Chancellor, whose close friend he is – a new startup in the area of climate protection. But this government is with the global climate crisis, strangely indifferent. And the Minister of the economy contributes to this.

For example, in the past week, as the Federal environment Minister, Svenja Schulze negotiated in Katowice at the climate summit. She called on the Gathered to urge more ambition in climate protection. On their side, representatives of other EU member States and developing countries, climate change threatens the very existence of. It is the right appeal at the right place at the right time. Would Germany and the EU declared in Katowice, to more stringent climate targets present, so as requested by many of the delegates – they would have set at this conference a strong signal.

Uninspired and dispirited

Only, unfortunately, had the Minister no room for manoeuvre. And fell to the top of your Altmaier at home yet in the back: It Schulze’s right to be announce at the climate summit of things, he said, but decide should the Federal government at the end of the. He wanted to “objectives, we observe, in fact, also”. After a new start-up that didn’t sound just rather uninspired and discouraged.

the environment Minister has in Altmaier, so far, no allies. While she struggled for goals for more stringent climate, for example, in the dispute over the car exhaust gas values of the European Union, slowed. When it came to the EU targets for green energy and energy efficiency, he warned himself in Brussels from too much ambition.

Although Altmaier wants to accelerate the expansion of the grid, the German power grid can accommodate renewable energy sources better in the future. But in the promotion of Renewable energy, which belong to the network expansion, he is far less ambitious. Even industry representatives should not have according to newspaper reports, in the meantime, the lame Minister of the economy, complained that brings the energy revolution from their point of view quickly enough and also planning security robs.

Coal phase-out and CO2-tax

Altmaier, was a former Minister of the environment. He knows it, so it is not only since today, as the climate is at risk, and with it the future of the young Generation. He would have been able to use in the coalition negotiations for a determined exit strategy from Coal. Instead, Germany has a coal Commission, which has postponed its final report into next year. The office is located in the Ministry of the economy, the environment Minister Schulze would have shared the lead with Altmaier.

Further fundamental reforms that would bring climate protection to significantly advance, denied Altmaier, yet his support. For example, the introduction of a CO2 price. It is one of the favorite themes of the Minister of the environment and of many climate economists. The idea is impressively simple: If climate-damaging energy produced would be more expensive, then they would be used less. Germany would not be alone friendly this climate, you’d need so many bans and other regulations.

There are ways to make such a tax in a social way. For example, you could pay the money that the state takes you back to the citizens. So the win would be living, the eco-friendly. Or you could pair the amount of repayments in mind how much someone earns. You could use the income from the tax to support climate-friendly industries.

Schulze argues, Altmaier managed

Actually, Altmaier estimates policy, an active industrial. However, for a CO2 price he has no sympathy. For this, he had “no power of attorney,” he said Recently. The price is not in the coalition agreement, so the topic interested him. No new calls from the Minister of economy.

The second major project of the Federal environment Minister is a climate protection act. In the coalition agreement, it is provided that they should submit by the end of 2019. Each Ministry should provide a breakdown of what it intends to do, in order that the country’s climate-friendly. The Ministry of economy would be responsible for the building sector. You don’t hear that it delivers the most engaged.

Altmaier, Said it really serious with the new start-up, so he had plenty of opportunities, the climate protection in Germany. Schulze argues, engaged. Altmaier, but managed. On both the German Chancellor. Angela Merkel would have nothing to lose if you encouraged your Minister of the economy, to support Svenja Schulze.