Wissing: Climate goals cannot be achieved with speed limits - BUND sees "shabby approach"

Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing has sharply rejected criticism from the Green Party and Greenpeace regarding his warning about possible weekend driving bans. The sectoral consideration in the currently applicable Climate Protection Act leads to the fact that "we would have to immediately save 22 million CO2 equivalents," said the FDP politician on Friday in Deutschlandfunk. "And 'we' in this case are all citizens affected by car traffic, delivery traffic - basically each and every one of us." Such savings could not be achieved with a speed limit or other measures, but only ad hoc by forgoing the use of cars and trucks, Wissing reaffirmed his stance from the previous day.

Green Party & Greenpeace: False Claims

In a letter to the chairpersons of the traffic light factions SPD, Green Party, and FDP, Wissing warned on Thursday of drastic cuts for motorists if the traffic light coalition does not soon agree on a reform of the Climate Protection Act - up to and including weekend driving bans. According to Wissing's argument, to achieve sectoral climate targets in transport under the current law, a significant reduction in car and truck mileage would be necessary. The Green Party and the environmental organization Greenpeace criticized Wissing's proposal as false claims and a political embarrassment.

Wissing builds the threat of car abstinence

Wissing emphasized in Deutschlandfunk that a driving ban on weekends would only bring about half of the necessary savings obligations, "so that we would have to forgo cars and trucks two days a week permanently and indefinitely."

"Those like Greenpeace and the Green Party who always say the Climate Protection Act must remain as it is, may now be shocked by the consequences of their policies, but one cannot simply evade reality," said the Transport Minister. The Climate Protection Act is "simply poorly made" and leads to "us having to take measures even though they are not necessary to achieve climate protection goals."

Wissing's initiative puts pressure on the ongoing negotiations of the traffic light factions over a reform of the Climate Protection Act. According to reports, the negotiations are contentious, particularly regarding which responsibilities ministries will still have if CO2 reduction targets are missed - as in the transport sector.