Environment Ministry unveils 4 billion-euro climate protection investment

German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke announced on March 29 that the German government would be making a huge 4 billion-euro investment into “natural climate protection”. The announcement was welcomed by environmental groups, but some German farmers are less enthusiastic. 

Plan aims to improve biodiversity and protect it

The government unveiled a plan that aims to increase biodiversity in Germany as well as combat climate change. In the past years, extreme weather has made the need to tackle climate change more urgent, with the government outlining five focus areas to tackle with the plans. 

The Environment Minister stated that intact wetlands will be protected and that wetlands that have been drained will be restored by raising groundwater levels. Minister Lemke stressed the importance and value of rivers, lakes, ponds, and floodplains, noting that they “provide a great amount of biodiversity”.

Minister Lemke also stated his intention to expand on protected areas like forests and wilderness areas. He has also pushed for the government-owned beech forests to not be cut down (which is believed to be an effective carbon sink). The new plans cover both the countryside and German cities. They will see as many 150.000 trees planted within inner-city areas throughout the country. 

German farmers are not happy about the new plans

German farmers are less happy with the new plans than environmental groups. Farmers currently use as much as 92 percent of the country’s wetlands for agricultural purposes. Joachim Rukwied (president of the German Farmers’ Organization) stated that “alternative income opportunities must be created so the land may continue to be used.”

Road builders are also dissatisfied with the plans, particularly since the A20 coast motorway, which will pass through several federal states, will also run through large sections of wetlands. It is unclear if the road plans can be implemented.