The left wing of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the German Bundestag is fiercely defending the existing carbon dioxide fleet emission limits for new vehicles, a policy effectively phasing out the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars by 2035. A recently released position paper, championed by the Parliamentary Left (PL), explicitly states that any relaxation of this ban would be “climate policy wrong, economically short-sighted and socially unjust.
The SPD left fears a potential rollback, championed by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), as a dangerous return to outdated thinking. Carmen Wegge, co-spokesperson for the PL, warned that such a shift would “undermine confidence, jeopardize jobs and investments and ultimately weaken Germany’s competitiveness”. Her critique directly targets the CDU’s leader, Friedrich Merz, who has publicly advocated for abolishing the EU-wide ban on new combustion engine vehicles.
The core of the dispute centers on the “Fit-for-55” package, a suite of EU climate legislation aiming to limit global warming to just above two degrees Celsius. Current fleet emission limits – progressively tightened to zero CO2 emissions per kilometer – are the critical mechanism driving the phasing out of combustion engines. Jakob Blankenburg, a member of the PL leadership, emphasizes that undermining these standards would not only damage Germany’s credibility in climate action but also send a damaging signal to industry. He insists that clear regulations are essential for maintaining investment, jobs and value creation within the country.
Merz’s push to overturn the ban has ignited significant internal political tension within Germany. While the rationale from the CDU side often cites concerns about consumer choice and technological feasibility, critics argue it prioritizes short-term political gain over long-term climate commitments. Given recent pronouncements from the International Court of Justice, which have established the potential for liability for states exceeding the 1.5-degree Celsius warming threshold, the debate underscores the mounting pressure on Germany and the EU to maintain ambitious climate targets. The potential for legal action over climate inaction now looms as a stark consequence of policy reversals.