environmental groups are praising the climate concept of the Left. However, Ex-party chief Klaus Ernst sees it as "Car-hostile" and calls for far-reaching Changes.

at Least for this Left in the air strike in Darmstadt, Germany, the attitude to climate protection is clearly photo: Joaquim Ferreira / imago

When it comes to climate protection, was drawn up, the left party has always been broad: While you struggled as a party in government in the state of Brandenburg for many years at the side of the mate against a faster phase-out of climate-damaging brown coal, many of the Left-the Deputy involved at the same time, Anti-coal protests in the hambach forest, or the brown coal blockages of the Initiative "terrain".

During the party's Executive last September with the protests against the car fair IAA solid, the linearized, looked at the Left-economic expert and the Porsche driver Klaus Ernst, among other things, new sports car. And depending on which*r members is expressed, is a CO2-price in the press releases of the left group to be a fair and effective Instrument against climate change ("revenues from CO2 pricing as an 'Eco-Bonus' back"), a unsocial and ineffective imposition (message from Klaus Ernst).

up to now, these conflicting positions were just next to each other. However, in the case of the group exam of the Left, which will take place this Thursday and Friday, it could come to a Showdown. Because that's where the "plan of action for climate justice is finally" on the agenda.

This 80-has been developed was side of the paper in the summer several deputies, including the climate politicians Lorenz Gösta Beutin and the transport politician Sabine Leidig,. In October, it was one of the five working groups of the group, to that adopted for social-ecological Transformation and budget. Then it should be decided in November by the whole group and in parallel to the protest actions of Fridays for Future and end of premises of the Federal press conference will be presented. But it was not to be: After resistance from the group, the group decided to take only the introductory Chapter – the Rest will be decided on the retreat.

"I don't want we the people to another way of life impose"

And there is a clear controversy emerges. Because in the environmental scene, the action plan may encounter a great deal of agreement: "The concept really offers a lot of good approaches," said Barbara Metz, Deputy managing Director of German environmental aid. But from the ranks of economic policy makers of the group, there is considerable resistance. The show a number of Amendments, the existence of the taz. In addition to the far-reaching claim to promote him to a non-binding discussion paper to be downloaded, there are a number of concrete requests for Change: Get a majority, they would weaken the Plan in terms of content, clearly, and in part reversed.

this is Especially evident in the field of transport. Here is the plan of action calls for in addition to fewer and smaller cars, among other things, the "step-by-step Transition to the zero-tariff" in the public transport and a ban on "short-haul flights to places that can be reached in 5 hours by train". All of these claims would like, the economic policy spokesman Klaus Ernst painting. "I want to said when flying, not bans, but better Alternatives", he is the taz. Free public transport, he rejects with the Argument that the money for the necessary Expansion "over the ticket prices would have to come in".

"Without a Change in our life, we can neither socially nor ecologically-friendly conditions

create", Also on the question of how Cars in the future, driven to be, there is no Unity. The environmental politician of the group are calling for in the action plan, "the internal combustion engine in 2030," and call for pure electric cars. Synthetic fuels produced from electricity, refuse Cars, because "in need of vehicles per kilometre travelled, is about 4-5 Times as much energy as direct electricity use in electric cars", - stated in the climate plan.

Ernst wants to receive a modification request that "as many as possible well-paid jobs in industry" and also in "internal combustion engines that run on Biogas or Synfuels" set. The need for far more green power is needed, does not bother him. He relies, in accordance with the BDI anyway, the fact that Germany imported in the future in large-scale renewable produced fuels: "I'm going to assume that we can produce green energy in Germany alone." Especially for the Arabian Peninsula, was not suitable Serious.

here, Too, there is a fundamental conflict with the climate policy of the group, the corresponding plans in the action plan as "construction of new import dependencies with international conflicts," decided to reject it. Moreover, they do not refer to the fact that the relevant industries in foreign countries "still exist even in the approach".

Over the individual claims are also fundamental differences. Interferes with, Seriously, overall, the tone of the action plan. "I read a certain Car and xenophobia, which will alienate the voters against us," he says. And: "I want us to reduce CO2, but not that we the people are a different living force." The Sabine looks to Leidig as the co-author of the plan of action, climate justice is quite different. "Without a Change in our way of life, based on a systematic exploitation of others, we can create neither socially nor ecologically-friendly conditions," she said of the taz.

Left-climate expert Beutin hopes that the action plan will be adopted in the exam without any major Changes. "When it comes to climate protection, the Left should clearly show the flag, instead of on the tactics of the Auto and energy companies are falling in, the paint, as always, to the defence of their interests, the end of industry, location, Jobs, and prosperity to the wall," he says.

Whether or not this wish will come true, is open to the majority in the group of the climate issue are unclear. On the one hand, the climate protective in the past several times to enforce, such claim, to declare a climate state of emergency. On the other hand, Beutin has failed in the election to the group Board twice.

And the group leadership has not positioned itself yet clear. The Chairman Dietmar Bartsch shows for both sides understanding. "Yes, I can understand people, to reduce the questions, what's the point in us CO2, when in Brazil the rain forest is burning," he wrote a few days ago, in a guest contribution to the world. "On the other hand, the climate policy moves to the right a whole Generation that knows that a 'More so' our existence is threatened."