The German Environmental Aid (DUH) has launched a scathing critique of the Federal Government’s draft proposal to reform the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Target (THG quota), accusing policymakers of squandering a crucial opportunity to establish a genuine climate protection instrument. Sascha Müller-Kraenner, Federal Managing Director of DUH, stated, “The Federal Government is jeopardizing the potential of the THG quota and turning it into a vehicle for superficial solutions.
The draft legislation, designed to elevate the quota to 59% by 2040, proposes a reduction in the share of biofuels and an exit from soy-based diesel. Critically, it postpones the exclusion of palm oil residues, which DUH characterizes as susceptible to fraudulent practices, until 2027. While advocating for increased minimum quotas for fuels derived from waste and residues, the omission of aviation and maritime transport from the regulation is drawing intense scrutiny. The DUH argues this effectively creates a quota geared toward “sham solutions” such as hydrogen and e-fuels for road transport.
Müller-Kraenner specifically targeted the continued reliance on agrofuels, highlighting the egregious environmental and social costs. “Ninety percent of soy used for German diesel originates in South America, driving deforestation of tropical rainforests and gross human rights violations” he asserted. “Agrofuels generally entail enormous land and resource consumption and should receive no form of support whatsoever. Focusing on limited waste and residue streams opens the door to utilization conflicts and fraud.
Jürgen Resch, also Federal Managing Director of DUH, voiced strong reservations about the proposed integration of hydrogen into the transportation sector. “Burning green hydrogen in vehicles is pure waste and energy policy madness” he declared. “The addition of a new subsidy for ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen – incorporating fossil gas and coal – which isn’t even creditable towards EU targets, compounds the problem. Furthermore, the plan to fulfill the quota increasingly through hydrogen usage in refineries represents a deceptive escape route, extending the lifespan of fossil business models.
The organization further criticized the weakening of incentives for electric mobility, calling it “precisely the wrong path” and a squandering of the THG quota’s potential as a fiscally neutral instrument for promoting e-mobility adoption. DUH is urging the Bundestag to reject the cabinet draft and rectify these detrimental incentives, advocating for a more robust and socially responsible approach to achieving genuine greenhouse gas reductions.