Climate change 2026: demands for real justice and honesty!

Climate change 2026: demands for real justice and honesty!

What are the Christmas wishes of climate activists? To mark the upcoming festive season, the Fridays for Future movement published an urgent wish list on December 21st. It contains fundamental demands, such as the ban on gas drilling off Borkum and the general phase-out of fossil fuels. The focus is also on the need for real climate justice and taking responsibility for future generations. These points expand the discussion that has so far rarely been on the agenda in the federal government's climate policy under Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), as fr.de reports.

The situation is alarming: According to a UN forecast, the world is heading for global warming of 2.8 degrees by the end of the century, and the 1.5 degree target is expected to be missed within the next decade. Experts such as Niklas Höhne from the NewClimate Institute and Claudia Kemfert from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) are calling for more honesty and less populism in climate policy, as well as the dismantling of environmentally harmful subsidies, such as the company car privilege and the diesel privilege. In addition, a long-term plannable increase in CO₂ pricing is proposed in order to specifically support socially disadvantaged households and to promote companies that want to operate CO₂-free.

Science as a guide

In order to specifically address the challenges of climate change, scientific studies play a key role. A current model study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) analyzed the effects of CO₂ pricing with redistribution. This research project shows that a globally uniform or differentiated CO₂ price, combined with financial reimbursements for poorer countries, could have positive effects on the climate and economic inequality. The study's co-author, Simon Feint, emphasizes that the costs of climate change particularly affect poorer sections of the population more heavily. The revenue from CO₂ pricing could be used to relieve the burden on these groups in order to increase social acceptance of effective climate policy, as deutschesklimaportal.de explains.

In addition, a new study commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) examined how rising energy prices affect energy demand and which aspects of climate policy overall should be improved. The analysis shows that the government-determined parts of energy prices, such as taxes and network fees, are crucial to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These measures could enable significant savings, particularly in the building, transport and industrial sectors. The need to protect low-income households from the negative effects of high energy prices is also emphasized.

Climate protection as a task for society as a whole

In the discussion about the future of German climate policy, it becomes clear that effective climate protection requires more than just CO₂ pricing. A comprehensive approach could finally make Germany’s climate goals achievable. This includes, among other things, the reform of the state-determined components of energy and electricity prices as well as the expansion of infrastructure and targeted aid for low-income households in order to avoid social hardship. Such an approach is necessary to effectively meet the challenges of the climate crisis and at the same time maintain social cohesion, as umweltbundesamt.de notes.