2023-04-23 13:28:17
In order to slow down global warming, for example, pure gas and oil heating systems should no longer be installed from 2024 onwards. Saxony’s Prime Minister fears that the plans will cause “riots among the population”.
Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer has sharply criticized the latest plans of the traffic light coalition in climate policy. “The traffic light just announces the balance between economy, ecology and social issues,” said the CDU politician of the “Bild am Sonntag” (“BamS”). “This government’s plans are leading to deindustrialization and popular turmoil.”
Above all, Kretschmer criticized the planned building energy law for heating renewal: It was done “with a crowbar”. “Many citizens will simply not be able to afford the required conversion of their house or apartment. Landlords and housing companies are also sounding the alarm,” said the head of state. “The energy transition will become unaffordable for the citizens and politicians will lose a large part of the population as a result.” Because of the climate policy, there will be massive relocations of companies away from Germany.
Exceptions and Transitional Periods
In the newspaper, Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) called for generous exemptions for hospitals, care and rehabilitation facilities when it comes to heating renewal. “We will not allow rising energy and heating costs to endanger the existence of hospitals,” said Lauterbach. Specifically, it should be possible for the facilities to apply for the installation of a new gas heating system under certain circumstances in the future.
The traffic light coalition had recently reached a compromise on the controversial building energy law. According to this, the core principle remains that from January 1, 2024, every newly installed heating system must be operated with 65 percent renewable energies. Pure gas or oil heating systems should therefore no longer be newly installed. However, there should be exceptions, transition periods and comprehensive funding.
At the FDP federal party conference on Saturday, the delegates passed a motion that calls for “major changes” to the Building Energy Act, for which a draft with the approval of the FDP ministers was passed by the cabinet last week. The FDP now criticizes that the regulations interfere too much with people’s self-determined lives. However, according to a poll by the opinion research institute Insa on behalf of “Bild am Sonntag”, 55 percent of party supporters are in favor of a ban on new gas and oil heating systems. This is only 32 percent of the general population. (dpa)
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