The CDU will not vote at its February plenary meeting on whether to dilute the definition of climate neutrality. Instead, party insiders reported by the Funke Media Group (Wednesday edition) agreed to adopt a motion that emphasizes the importance of climate protection while highlighting the need to align it with the competitiveness of the locality.
The backdrop is a proposal that had been prepared by the Middle‑Class and Business Union (MIT) and the Christian‑Democratic Workers’ Union (CDA) for the upcoming convention. They wanted to redefine climate neutrality by allowing a 90 % rather than a 100 % reduction in emissions by 2050. Under current law, Germany is required to achieve climate neutrality by 2045.
This suggestion appears to have been dropped after significant intra‑party opposition. The motion now slated for introduction declares that “climate change and the threat to biodiversity are existential dangers”. It stresses that climate protection can only succeed through joint global effort. “Based on the Paris Agreement and with enhanced international cooperation, everyone must make their respective contribution” the motion reads. The party sees economy, climate protection, and social balance not as mutually exclusive, but as interlinked goals.