DAndreas Löschel, an energy economist in Münster, said that in the future, comprehensive pricing of carbon dioxide emissions in buildings and transportation, and a significant increase in the cost of industry and power generation, can “make climate protection far ahead.” Therefore, in principle, the European Commission’s “suitable for 55 people” package is welcomed.
However, the decisive factor is to avoid regulatory overlap and abandon purely national goals. Otherwise, the climate will not have much to gain, other states will not be attracted to them, and citizens and companies will be at a loss. “If we manage to rely on market-driven emission reductions without too much dual regulation, thus showing that climate protection and economic development are mutually reinforcing, this can be a role model,” said Löschel of the committee of experts responsible for monitoring climate change. Energiewende in the air, talking to FAZ
“Need a lot of renewable energy to generate electricity”
He criticized Germany’s climate protection law, which sets binding emission targets in annual steps at the sectoral level. Löschel said: “We must not become too fragmented, but should consider more Europeans.” If the carbon dioxide pricing of pollution rights that can be traded across Europe becomes a key future climate policy tool, then focusing on national goals will be even more problematic. Otherwise, the emissions may simply be transferred abroad.
Löschel: “If comprehensive European emissions trading also involves buildings and transportation, then national climate protection laws should be consistent with them.” Emissions trading-market participants saving carbon dioxide in the cheapest places-is difficult to integrate with national emergency plans together.
When talking about the expansion of green power, economist Löschel called for a more European perspective. The best production conditions for solar systems are in the southern Mediterranean, with most wind blowing in the north and northwest. Europe’s potential is huge-enough to meet Europe’s energy needs in 2050.
However, other European countries often lack financial means for investment, which is possible in this country, but there is insufficient room for expansion of green power, and there are resistance and administrative obstacles. “We need a lot of renewable energy to generate electricity and better complement our national activities at the European level.”
But so far, there has been too little talk about the way to promote the expansion of renewable energy in Europe. “Are Europeans ready to bear the generally higher cost of climate protection, and are also ready to expand services and investment in member states with favorable launch conditions? In my opinion, this is unclear,” Löschel said.
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Especially because, on the contrary, it must also be clear how the start-up assistance once received will decrease again as the price of carbon dioxide rises. “According to the prices we see in the electricity market today, the massive market-driven expansion of renewable energy is possible,” said energy economists.
Because the price of carbon dioxide increases the cost of coal power generation, which is particularly harmful to the climate, and drives it out of the marketEven without subsidies, more and more investments in wind and solar energy systems in Europe can be rewarded. This is especially true if the price of carbon dioxide in emissions trading continues to rise. “If this is not enough, European solutions should be a priority,” Löschel emphasized.
He also criticized the planned climate tariffs. In the long run, this may actually cause more damage than it does—especially problematic for export-oriented Germany, because Brussels cannot and does not want to reduce its exports to third countries. In Löschel’s view, the measurement of imported CO2 content and possible loopholes are also likely to cause difficulties.
It can be assumed that climate tariffs will come, but implementation will take a long time. Löschel said: “This time could have been used more actively to bring Europe and other countries closer together in terms of climate protection.”
