Climate protection: Dispute over climatopf: money for certificates instead of climate protection?

Climate scholar Brigitte Knopf has urged the Federal Government about misuse of the climate and transformation fund (KTF). The idea of ​​the Ministry of Finance provided in the budget for 2026 to pay emission certificates for possible missed climate goals with money from the KTF, “fully counteracts climate protection,” said the director of the Thinktank future climate social and deputy chairman of the expert council for climate issue established by the Federal Government.

“Germany will miss its climate goals,” said Knopf of the German Press Agency. “And instead of investing more in climate protection, money that was actually intended for investments in climate protection in this country should be used to buy certificates in other countries. This is an absurd vicious cycle.”

KTF should finance investments and relief

The KTF is a state special pot that is intended to finance investments in climate protection, for example when expanding renewable energies or in the climate -neutral conversion of industry. In addition, relief for households and companies are also paid for, for example due to increased energy costs.

According to the EU requirements, the Member States must comply with their annual emission goals in sectors such as transport, buildings or agriculture. If the goals are missed, you must buy so-called emission certificates from other EU countries within the framework of the European load division regulations (ESR).

Germany would have to pay around 22 billion in the event of a feast of target

A significant gap is emerging for Germany. The expert council for climate issues assumes that Germany will expose a total of around 224 million tons of CO2 to achieve the goals by 2030. Germany would have to buy Certificates for every too much emitted tonne CO2.

With a realistic price of 100 euros per tonne CO2, Germany would have to pay around 22 billion euros by 2030, says Knopf. “On average for 2026 to 2030, that would be just over four billion euros per year.” So almost half of those ten billion euros that the KTF get from the special fund every year.

So far no money for certificates

The Federal Ministry of Finance announced that the household item “Purchase of emission allocations according to the EU Clay Asset Protection Ordinance” was transferred from the core budget to the KTF, “so that the KTF also contributes to the drawing up of the core budget”.

Since Germany has been below the permissible CO2 quantities in recent years, no funds are currently intended for the purchase of certificates, said a spokesman. If the purchase of certificates should be required in the future, “will have to be decided on the financing in the context of the annual budget constellation”.