BERLIN: Germany’s would-be coalition partners have agreed to drop an ambitious plan to lower carbon dioxide emissions by 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020, two sources this agency on Monday — a potential embarrassment for Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Negotiators for her conservative bloc and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) said the parties had agreed in exploratory talks on forming a government that the targeted cut in emissions could no longer be achieved by 2020.
Instead, they would aim to hit the 40 per cent target in the early 2020s, the sources said, adding that both parties are still sticking to their goal of achieving a 55 per cent cut in emissions by 2030.
The deal would represent something of a U-turn by Merkel, who has long presented herself as an advocate for climate protection policies on the international stage.
The parties also agreed that the share of renewable energy in Germany’s electricity consumption should rise to 65 percent by 2030 from roughly a third currently, the sources said.
Currently, the government plans to raise the renewable energy quota to between 45 and 55 per cent by 2025.
The two sides want to stick to an already-agreed climate protection deal which foresees a commission to submit plans for an exit from coal-fired energy by the end of the year, the sources said.
Merkel’s conservatives and the SPD also agreed to raise the threshold for the top income tax rate of 42 per cent to 60,000 euros ($72,000) a year from a current 53,700 euros, another source said.
Her Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Christian Social Union (CSU) Bavarian allies promised tax relief during campaigning for September’s election and the initial agreement to raise the bar indicates the SPD is willing to compromise.
Sealing a deal with the SPD to renew their ‘grand coalition’, which has governed Germany since 2013, is Merkel’s best chance of securing a fourth term in office after the election weakened both parties.
Monday’s compromises mark a small step in the talks, however, as the would-be partners still have to bridge major differences on immigration, the future of the European Union and the economy. — Reuters
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