A leading climate researcher is urging the German government to reconsider a planned increase to the commuter allowance, warning it could disproportionately benefit higher-income households and hinder climate goals. Manfred Fischedick, President and Scientific Director of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy, argues that raising the allowance from 30 to 38 cents per kilometer for the first 20 kilometers of a commute would create a financial burden of approximately 1.3 billion euros annually and exacerbate social inequality.
Fischedick contends that such a move represents a counterproductive subsidy, alongside existing incentives like tax exemptions for aviation fuel, diesel fuel benefits and company car privileges, which collectively distort efforts toward sustainable transportation. He emphasizes the need for policy alignment with environmental objectives, suggesting that increasing the commuter allowance would be a step in the wrong direction.
The critique extends across the political spectrum. Andreas Audretsch, a deputy parliamentary group leader for the Green Party, sharply criticized the expansion of climate-damaging subsidies rather than their reduction, characterizing the government’s approach as misguided.
Meanwhile, the co-leader of the Left Party, Ines Schwerdtner, proposes abolishing the company car privilege as a funding source for the Deutschlandticket, a national public transport pass. She argues the ticket is financially viable but lacks the necessary political will to prioritize policies benefiting the majority of citizens.
The debate unfolds against a backdrop of continued challenges in meeting emissions reduction targets within the transportation sector. In 2024, Germany exceeded its allowed emissions limit by 18 million tons of CO2 equivalent, despite a target of 143 million tons. The reduction in emissions compared to the previous year was a modest 1.4 percent, highlighting the urgent need for more effective climate policies.