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German transport minister stirs climate debate with threat of driving bans
(EurActiv, 15 Apr 2024) A debate on abandoning sector-specific climate targets is heating up in Germany after Transport Minister Volker Wissing from the liberal FDP party warned that he might have to impose car bans on weekends unless the country’s climate law is reformed.
Last week, Wissing warned that nationwide driving bans on weekends might become necessary under the country’s current climate law, which forces ministries to present immediate action programmes if annual emission targets for their respective sector are missed.
“I have told the citizens the truth because this sectoral view means that we have to save 22 million [tonnes of] CO2 equivalents [in transport] immediately,” Wissing told radio station Deutschlandfunk on Friday (12 April).
“And these 22 million tonnes of savings cannot be achieved with a speed limit or other measures, such large quantities can only be saved ad hoc by not using cars and lorries,” Wissing said, adding that driving bans on all weekends would be necessary to reach such an emissions reduction.
Germany’s transport sector has repeatedly missed its targets under the national climate law, which contains annual sector-specific emissions limits and mandates responsible ministries to ensure compliance with their targets or correct excess emissions through additional measures.
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EurActiv, 15 Apr 2024: German transport minister stirs climate debate with threat of driving bans
