(de-news.net) – Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) has argued that the fundamental provisions of the so-called “heating law” must remain intact. He indicated that any forthcoming amendment to the statute would, in his view, be acceptable only if it demonstrably advanced Germany’s climate-protection objectives. This condition, he maintained, constituted the principal prerequisite for his endorsement of any modifications. Although he acknowledged that the law was amenable to technical and procedural adjustments, he underscored that the associated system of financial incentives should be preserved alongside the legislation’s environmental impact.
In the course of these deliberations, the black-red coalition has encountered difficulties in revising the Building Energy Act. The framework—aimed at enhancing emissions reductions within the building sector—centers on the gradual phaseout of oil- and gas-fired heating systems. While existing and functional installations would be permitted to remain in operation, the act requires that any newly installed heating system utilize a minimum of 65 percent renewable energy. This requirement is accompanied by a complex array of transitional provisions and subsidy schemes designed to mitigate burdens on households and local authorities. Housing Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD), Economic and Energy Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU), and the relevant parliamentary leaders and policy specialists are expected to present a comprehensive set of reform options by the end of January. The cabinet is slated to approve the revised legislation by the end of February.
At the same time, the coalition partners remain divided over the future of the 65-percent mandate. The CDU has advocated loosening or altering this threshold, notwithstanding Reiche’s earlier characterization of the current standard as effectively compelling households to adopt heat pumps. The SPD seeks to retain the requirement in its existing form. Schneider reinforced this position by noting that, for the first time, heat-pump installations have outpaced those of gas-fired systems during the current year.
