Wilhelmshaven More speed in the expansion of renewable energies and more careful use of resources – this is what the federal and state environment ministers agreed at their two-day meeting in Wilhelmshaven, also in view of the war in Ukraine. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) announced that she would limit the use of biofuel from cultivated plants by changing the law. She wants to present a proposal “promptly”.
Lemke said the war in Ukraine shows the vulnerability of the supply of food and raw materials. “Agrofuels from food and feed can no longer be a solution at a time when we are threatened with one of the worst global hunger crises.” The fields are needed worldwide to produce food, said Lemke. “That’s why we need to reduce the use of agrofuels from food and feed crops.”
The environment ministers of the federal states also spoke out in favor of this in a resolution. “We want plates instead of tanks,” said the chairman of the Environment Ministers’ Conference, Lower Saxony’s Environment Minister Olaf Lies (SPD). In Germany alone, 2.4 million tons of feed and food are used to produce bioethanol as a fuel additive. “I think it would be wiser if we use the land to grow food,” Lies said. Lower Saxony is chairing the Environment Ministers’ Conference this year.
In order to save resources, the state ministers also voted for a speed limit on motorways. “We also have to promote climate protection through a speed limit,” said Lies.
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It is true that Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia noted in a memorandum that they considered the effect of a speed limit to be limited and did not support it “for reasons of proportionality”. The resolution, which also contains other points on climate protection and the effects of the war in Ukraine, was passed unanimously with the votes of these two federal states, said Lies.
A height of the required speed limit was not mentioned in the decision. Lies favors Tempo 130. Thuringia’s Environment Minister Anja Siegesmund (Greens) said the speed limit was a “quick, effective measure to save many millions of liters of fuel and tons of CO2 a year”. It helps protect the climate and makes you less dependent on oil imports.
German environmental aid: A speed limit is correct
The Association of the German Biofuel Industry (VDB) rejected the decision. “If the environment ministers want to further cap biofuels, they must also state how they intend to achieve the climate targets,” said Managing Director Elmar Baumann. The German Environmental Aid, on the other hand, welcomed the advances of the conference. A speed limit is correct, said Federal Managing Director Jürgen Resch. The relief effect is impressive.
Steffi Lemke: “We have to reduce the use of agrofuels from food and feed crops.”
(Photo: dpa)
In order to accelerate the expansion of renewable energies, especially wind power, the state ministers called on the federal government to set legal standards for species protection checks. This creates legal certainty and simplifies administrative processes, said Lies.
The minister emphasized that in addition to faster procedures, sufficient funds and specialists are also needed for the energy transition. A joint working group of the federal and state governments had come to the conclusion that 3,500 additional jobs were needed in Germany in order to achieve the climate protection goals that had been set. In addition, 2.3 billion euros are needed more per year for nature conservation and climate change adaptation.
Do not ignore species protection
Federal Environment Minister Lemke emphasized that the protection of species must not be neglected in the expansion of renewable energies and climate protection. Therefore, the federal government wants to provide a species aid program for nature conservation in the amount of 82 million euros in the next few years. “This means that where the expansion of wind power has negative effects, we will cushion these effects with the species aid program,” said Lemke.
In Wilhelmshaven, the Federal and State Environment Ministers’ Conference took place for the first time in two years due to the pandemic. The conference was also accompanied by several rallies and demonstrations – several environmental protection groups had set up a climate camp right in front of the conference hotel.
Construction work on an import terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) started in the port city just last week. The environment ministers have acknowledged that this is necessary in order to become less dependent on Russian energy supplies, said conference chairman Lies. However, such terminals should only be a “bridge”.
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