Calls for the payment of a climate bonus in Germany are growing louder. The German consumer association has now calculated how much the state already owes citizens due to rising CO2 costs, German media report.

“We don’t want to wait any longer, we want climate money now!” That is what it says on the WWF website, as well as on Arbeiterwohlfahrt, IG Bau and other similar associations. The associations have launched a joint protest campaign directed at the federal Government. The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (VZBV) also insists on a bonus that rewards climate-conscious behavior.

Such an idea is included in the coalition agreement of the “Traffic Light Coalition”. “It is unpleasant that this is taking so long. We demand that the Government do everything it can to ensure that the climate money arrives as soon as possible,” VZBV said. After all, consumers have been paying an additional charge on gas, oil and petrol since 2021 due to the CO2 price, which is expected to continue rising in the coming year, and they are not receiving sufficient relief for it.

What is climate money?

Climate money is a concept from the coalition agreement intended to compensate for future increases in the CO2 price. According to the claims of the “Traffic Light Coalition”, the whole thing is conceived as a social “compensation mechanism beyond the abolition of the EEG levy”.

The idea: revenue from the higher CO2 price should be returned to citizens. For example, each citizen could receive a certain amount every year. The conclusion is that those who behave in a less climate-damaging way would benefit and would therefore have lower costs due to the rising CO2 price.

They would be rewarded, while refunds would also be received by those who, for example, consume a lot of energy produced from fossil fuels or travel in an environmentally harmful way.

Experts believe that such a bonus could particularly benefit low-income people, whose everyday behavior often harms the climate less because they do not have a car or rarely fly.

The consumer advice center is demanding that consumers be refunded 139 euros each since most of the costs of the CO2 price already fall on consumers.

VZBV calculated this for the past three years. A family of four should receive 556 euros. “I would like to see that money in consumers’ accounts,” says the energy expert.

Despite the wishes of the associations, it seems that citizens will not receive cash directly, but that this money will be paid out to them through various projects.

The Ministry of Economy explains that the remaining revenue from the CO2 price will flow into the climate and transformation fund, and will therefore also end up with citizens: for example through funding programs for building renovation and heating replacement, energy advice, or co-financing of electric vehicles.

In addition, this year the CO2 price was not increased as planned in order to ease the burden on citizens.

“Climate money” without a precise payment date

In any case, a direct payment of the climate bonus is not yet planned. According to German media, the payment of “climate money” could come only after the next federal elections.

“Climate money remains on schedule. In this legislative period, as announced, the structure for payment will be created, and in the next period the structure will be decided on,” Finance Minister Christian Lindner stated.

Source: fenix-magazin.de