Share this on social media
Germany to raise carbon price to 25 euros in 2021 after pressure -sources
(Reuters News, 16 Dec 2019) All the revenue from the higher carbon price will be used to reduce the fee consumers have to pay to support the country's shift toward renewable energy.
Germany will raise the price for carbon dioxide emissions from transport and heating buildings to 25 euros ($27.56) per tonne from 2021 after a proposed 10 euro pricetag was criticised for being too low, government sources said on Monday.
The lower house of parliament last month approved a package to help Germany achieve its target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 55% of their 1990 level by 2030, but the opposition Greens, economists, business groups and activists rounded on its 10 euros a tonne CO2 emissions price.
A deal on the higher price between federal government and states paved the way for the Bundesrat upper house of parliament to agree before Christmas to a reduction in VAT on state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn's train tickets, the sources said.
Berlin wants to make rail travel cheaper to encourage people to take the train rather than the car or domestic flights.
A working group of a committee mediating between the upper and lower houses of parliament, which is meeting on Monday, still needs to approve the agreement by Wednesday. It would then have to be approved by the upper and lower houses on Friday.
Senior German conservative Armin Laschet said on Twitter: "The climate package blockade is over".
External link
Reuters News, 16 Dec 2019: Germany to raise carbon price to 25 euros in 2021 after pressure -sources
