Minister of Federal Building, Verena Hubertz, Stands Firm on Green Energy Targets for New Heating Systems
Despite the coalition agreement’s commitment to abolishing the Heating Act, Hubertz has reaffirmed her stance that new heating systems should be at least 65% powered by climate-neutral or renewable energy sources. In an interview with Bild am Sonntag, she emphasized the importance of meeting the 65% target, stating, “We must make 65% of the heating systems climate-neutral.”
Hubertz believes that the government cannot compromise on all fronts, citing the 2045 climate goal. She emphasized the need to help people adapt to the changes, rather than abandoning them, saying, “We must enable people to participate, not abandon them.”
The minister also expressed her intention to extend the rent cap to buildings constructed after 2014, stating, “I am a social democrat and I think we can still make some adjustments to the years.” The current rent cap only applies to buildings constructed before 2014.
Hubertz aims to halve the costs of building new homes, citing the use of prefabricated components as a key factor in reducing costs. She believes that by using such components, costs can be reduced by 30 to 40%, bringing the cost per square meter from around 5,000 euros to 2,500 to 3,000 euros.
The minister also plans to address the rising costs of land, stating that the government is working on the concept of perpetual lease, which she believes can help reduce the cost of land.
Regarding the target of building 400,000 new homes per year, Hubertz expressed skepticism, stating that the goal was not written into the coalition agreement and that the world has changed significantly since then.
Hubertz did, however, praise the 250,000 new homes built in the previous year, calling it a “full catastrophe” and expressing her relief that the number of building permits is increasing again.
The minister also expressed doubts about the feasibility of introducing a “WG guarantee” for apprentices and students in the current legislative period, stating, “I’m not confident enough to say yes or no, as the guarantee is a very ambitious goal and we are working towards it.” The WG guarantee, which is a key demand of the Jusos, is a subsidy for study and training works, aiming to provide affordable housing for young people.