ADAC on the Traffic Light Agreement: Do Not Let Up on Climate Protection in Traffic

With a positive verdict, the automobile club ADAC has responded to the resolutions of the traffic light coalition following the marathon session since Sunday. The club expressed relief that, after long struggles, the coalition parties have managed to reach an agreement on essential issues in infrastructure and climate policy.

"The long discussion between the governing parties shows that there are no simple solutions given the climate and economic policy challenges. Despite the transition to a cross-sectoral consideration of progress in CO2 reduction, the resolutions send a clear signal that the coalition wants to improve the options for action for consumers and businesses in climate protection in transport and implement measures that gain societal acceptance," says ADAC Traffic President Gerhard Hillebrand.

The separate monitoring of the previous sectoral development in climate protection will be maintained, so transport cannot hide, Hillebrand said.

"By means of cross-sectoral and long-term projection of future emissions development, more flexibility but also greater predictability is made possible. The goal of climate-neutral transport by 2045 remains unchanged," says Hillebrand.

Under no circumstances, therefore, should the lifting of sector targets lead to a slackening of efforts to make progress in climate protection in transport, Hillebrand continued. The transport sector must be decarbonized, and further work is needed to ensure the successful ramp-up of electromobility and to expand and make alternatives to cars more attractive.

"If the new resolution situation succeeds in accelerating the implementation of measures and providing people with better opportunities for sustainable mobility, the resolutions will move us forward," Hillebrand says.

The club also views it positively that the traffic light coalition is making an effort to overcome the supposed opposition between rail and road. Hillebrand believes that a functional infrastructure is needed for both modes of transport.

"We need the expansion of the rail system and investments in roads at bottlenecks and for rehabilitation. And above all, we need more speed. Infrastructure projects in Germany should no longer be century-long themes," says the ADAC President.

The focus on expansion at bottlenecks with high traffic benefits is correct. Particularly important to ADAC is that replacement structures for bridges with capacity expansion should be accelerated in planning and approval. More investments in the rail system are also good news, according to the ADAC traffic president.

"Because the more traffic that can be handled by rail, the better. Many travelers want more reliability, and for that, we need a reliable and modern rail network," Hillebrand said further.

Progress in freight transport is also essential for more climate protection in transport. To make car traffic climate-neutral and ensure the ramp-up of e-mobility succeeds, ADAC considers the expansion of charging infrastructure to be crucial. Expanding charging infrastructure in buildings is important, Hillebrand said, as it remains unnecessarily difficult for people to switch to electromobility, especially in larger residential complexes and multi-family houses.

"However, we also need a reliable statement on how public charging can remain affordable and competition can be strengthened," says the ADAC President.

The move towards Brussels to align energy taxation more closely with CO2 content is important. Here, the federal government must act decisively to revive the stalled negotiations. Hillebrand urges that the consumer side should not be forgotten in the planned dialogues on the ramp-up of electromobility and improving the conditions for e-fuels. ADAC also considers it important to significantly increase efforts to expand distribution networks and the pace of building charging infrastructure.

"It is good that the coalition continues to hold all parties accountable here because the transformation of the transport system is a collective societal effort that will demand a lot from us," praises the club president.