by Thorsten Koch

Chancellor Angela Merkel is to negotiate a new distribution of climate requirements in the European Union (EU) according to a position paper by the Union group within the German parliament. Otherwise, Germany would have to reduce 68 percent of its CO2 emissions within 10 years. The CDU-CSU faction fears that this could endanger both industries and jobs. The climate target itself is not denied by the parliamentarians.

The Chancellor said that within the Green Deal, all countries would have to increase their share of the targeted CO2 reduction. The burden sharing had to be rediscussed. By 2030, the EU Commission would increase the CO2 reduction, compared to the year 1990, to between 50 and 55 percent instead of the previous 40 percent.

According to Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD), the Green Deal should be used to implement a growth strategy. Europe could emerge stronger from the crisis, Schulze wrote in a letter to the heads of 427 large European companies. The Greens criticized the attitude of the government parties, making the argument that companies need planning security.