The EU Commission is planning a green Revolution for climate protection. But fresh money for the huge project, there are hardly any.

not on Drives a lot of fresh money for your Green Deal: EU Commission head Ursula van der Leyen photo: reuters

BERLIN taz | The Commission boss chose big words: A "roadmap for Action" called Ursula von der Leyen, their "Green Deal" in December 2019, with the "we reconcile our economy with our planet". Two months later, it is now seriously with the ambitious projects of Europe by 2050 to be carbon-neutral and economically successful. However, at the bare Figures shows that The Commission has many laws and regulations in the offer – but hardly new capital in order to pay the required billions of investment in green infrastructure.

The Green Deal is a green economy physical shock program, which aims to bring the EU on track: this spring, the Commission intends to present a new EU climate law. You want to increase the CO2-target for 2030 (so far, minus 40 percent) to minus 50 to 55 percent, emissions trading, to tighten new rules for cars to introduce a CO2-tax on imports to check the protection against the consequences of climate change, improve, renovate a building, green steel, electricity storage, and improve the agriculture bloom can. A total of 50 measures to achieve the EU 2050 to emit only as much CO2 as it absorbs from the air.

That costs a lot of money. A total of 1,000 billion euros by 2030, according to the Commission. In the hotly contested EU budget up to 2027, 25 percent of all funding for climate and environmental protection are to be output. The EU Parliament wants to per cent a share of 30 per cent, of the German nature conservation Association DNR even 40. In addition, the EU should stop subsidising fossil fuel projects, calls for the DNR-President Kai Niebert: "Every Euro that flows into the environment - or climate-damaging investments, undermining the future of Europe."

As the EU has no money of your own, it must come from the member States. According to EU planning, the trillion is for the Green Deal, by 2030, made up of about 500 billion from the EU budget, 140 billion out of a "Fund for a just Transition", about 250 billion in loans from the European investment Bank (EIB) and private investment, as well as 110 billion in co-financing from the countries.

This account has many of the Unknown: It is unclear how much money the EU member States and the Commission to predict actually. Also, the EU wants to manage the conversion to an Eco-economy, with virtually no fresh money. In the past, she has reckoned with booking tricks green; so 40 percent of the direct payments to farmers are a lump sum as a Ökomittel, although agriculture is a large emitter of CO2.

Already in the last budget 2013-2020 the EU wanted to 20 percent for the climate to spend. And already in 2016, the EU court of auditors has warned, the target is not achieved without a price correction. A balance sheet yet. A study of the organization "Bank watch" found at least 2019, and that the "Juncker Plan" (Efsi) of the previous Commission, with the 500 billion euros should be launched to investments, financed only 29 per cent of the climate protection. The EU guarantees supported investment in oil Refineries, gas pipelines, roads and airports.

Even in the much-heralded "transition Fund" of the regions in the farewell to the coal to help, are the 100 billion until 2027 7.5 billion in fresh money. The Rest of the States would have to raise itself from other EU coffers for structural development or Cohesion, redirect, or as loans from the EIB record. The Bank has, in turn, announced in January, to want to "climate Bank", and by 2025 half of their credits for the environment. Bank chief Werner Hoyer also assured that the EIB will be getting off at the end of 2021 from the financing of Fossil fuels. "But then all of the Pipelines are built," says Markus Trilling, a financial expert from the Climate Action Network. For him, the Green Deal is an example of "great Marketing" and is a step in the right direction. The funding permanent but "old wine in new hoses".

Also to the EU-goal of climate neutrality is haggling with the Poker to the budget. Poland did not want to participate as a single country. Access to the "transition funds" should get only States which accept the goal. The latest proposal by Council President, Charles Michel, is now a compromise: access for Poland – but only half of the sums.