Energy and climate package Triple steps or big litter?

Status: 22.06.2021 4:35 p.m.

Shortly before the summer break, the Union and the SPD agreed on an energy and climate package. It is intended to help achieve the goals of the new Climate Protection Act. According to this, Germany should be greenhouse gas neutral by 2045.

From Martin Polansky, ARD capital studio

Shortly before the end of the legislative period, the Bundestag is due to pass the stricter climate protection law this week. And now the Union and the SPD have agreed on a package with initial measures on how the more ambitious climate targets are to be achieved in the coming years. The chairwoman of the Union in the Bundestag Environment Committee, Anja Weisgerber from the CSU, welcomes the agreement. “It is definitely a clear step forward. And with everything we also pay attention to the effects on the economy, on jobs and people’s acceptance.”

Expansion of renewable energies – with restrictions

The government groups have specifically agreed on additional new wind and solar systems in the coming year, on simplified repowering, in which old wind turbines will be replaced by new and higher ones. CSU environmental expert Weisgerber emphasizes that the effects on species protection and noise emissions should continue to be examined. But simplified approval procedures are necessary in order to expand renewable energies more quickly and thus achieve the climate targets. The agreement also provides financial benefits for communities that provide rural open spaces for solar systems. The Union and the SPD could not agree on a faster increase in the CO2 price or the distribution of CO2 costs between tenants and landlords each half. And solar compulsory for new buildings is also off the table. This was not feasible with the Union, says the deputy SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch: “We cannot enforce this measure in such a constellation. I believe that the next government must first and foremost conclude a future pact between the federal, state and local governments , which provides for a binding expansion path for renewable energy sources. ”

Opposition and associations disappointed

Criticism of the resolutions comes from the opposition. The FDP speaks of campaign activism by the Union and the SPD, the Left calls the resolutions a sham campaign. The environmental expert of the Greens, Oliver Krischer, speaks of small, triple steps: “That is not what we need for climate protection. That is politics with our hands in our pockets and not the answer to the climate crisis.”

The BUND and the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband also criticize the resolutions as half-hearted: they are not only unambitious, but there is also no social compensation for tenants, for example. The Bundestag is to adopt the package of measures on Thursday together with the new climate protection law. This provides for Germany to become greenhouse gas neutral in 2045 – five years earlier than previously planned. In addition, the Federal Cabinet wants to launch an eight billion euro immediate program tomorrow to promote investments in the energy transition. However, the immediate program can only be finally adopted by the upcoming Bundestag

Criticism of China’s economic project Headwind on the “New Silk Road”

Status: 06/11/2021 12:58 p.m.

China is expanding its influence worldwide, and the “New Silk Road” is intended to further strengthen the country. But the criticism of the project is growing. At the G7 meeting, the Australian head of government wants to report on his experiences. From Steffen Wurzel, ARD studio Shanghai Ding Laisong from the customs authority of the Chinese port city of Ningbo was satisfied at the beginning of the week: Trade with the states of the so-called “New Silk Road” had increased by 30 percent, he said on the Chinese state television broadcaster CCTV. In the case of trade with the particularly committed Silk Road countries in Central and East Asia, the plus is even 50 percent.

Sri Lanka regrets cooperation

China’s state and party leadership continues to sell its controversial strategy and trade project “New Silk Road” within the People’s Republic as a great success. In numerous partner countries, however, the initial enthusiasm for the project has given way to sober insight. China’s state and party leadership has nothing to give away with the Silk Road. On the contrary: in many cases, the Silk Road partner countries have borrowed considerably – with Chinese state banks. This sometimes creates considerable dependencies. One example is the Hambantota port project in Sri Lanka. According to media reports, the expensive Silk Road port project has hardly brought the island state anything economically. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena now openly speaks of a mistake in leasing the port on the southern tip of the country to China for 99 years.

One billion euros in debt for Montenegro

In Europe, too, it is now becoming clear what the Silk Road critics have been calling a debt trap for years: the Balkan state of Montenegro, for example, had borrowed around one billion euros in China for the construction of a nearly 180-kilometer-long motorway. The autobahn is far from finished. But now the repayment is due – and the EU accession candidate lacks the money. The mood has also changed in large industrialized countries: In Italy, Prime Minister Mario Draghi put the Silk Road cooperation with China on hold, and the government in Canberra has also completed two projects in Australia. Only smaller, more symbolic projects were affected, but China’s communist leadership reacted angrily. She described Australia’s decision as “unreasonable and provocative”.

Australia accuses China of “extortionate behavior”

It is becoming clear that the communist leadership sees itself increasingly on the defensive in the Silk Road project, officially known as “Yi Dai Yi Lu”. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison complained at an economic conference in Perth “blackmailing behavior” by states like China. “Where compulsive acts have no consequences, there is little incentive to restrain,” said Morrison. Australia’s prime minister called for the sanctioning mechanisms of the World Trade Organization to be strengthened. Because if blackmailing behavior has no consequences, there is no reason for the corresponding states to hold back.

The G7 summit in Cornwall The heads of state and government of the seven leading industrialized countries (G7) will meet from June 11th to 13th in Cornwall, southwest England. For the first time in two years, they will meet again in person in the afternoon. In addition to climate change, the conference will also focus on trade issues and investments as well as the fight against the corona pandemic. In addition, the meeting will focus on the positioning towards Russia and China.
The G7 group includes the USA, Germany, Great Britain, Canada, France, Italy and Japan. Like-minded democratic states such as South Korea, South Africa, Australia and India are invited to the summit as guests. After the government in Canberra demanded a complete clarification of the origin of the Covid 19 pandemic around a year ago, Australia was de facto covered with an economic war by China’s leadership. The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to share this experience with the G7 countries. He will be a guest at the summit in England.

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