Germany’s lower house of parliament managed to pass a controversial bill that would ban fossil fuel heating-but the end result was a watered-down version of the bill that will hamper the country’s ability to meet its 2030 climate goals, according to the German Economy Ministry.
Germany has set a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2045, and the bill is considered critical to achieving that goal. The bill includes provisions that require certain heating systems – those installed in new developments in areas that rely on municipal heating – to be powered by at least 65% renewable energy starting next year. Owners of existing buildings will have until 2028 to make the changes, and gas boilers will still be allowed if they are of the type that can be converted to hydrogen at a later date.
The backlash against the original bill was largely due to fears that the measures would be costly.
The bill passed by a vote of 399 in favor of the fossil fuel heating ban and 275 against.
The bill now includes a caveat that the government will subsidize the cost of the new heating system, up to $96,404 per year, if a boiler replacement is combined with other renovations. The bill originally called for subsidies that were two-thirds of that. The money for the subsidies will come from its Climate and Transformation Fund.
But not everyone is happy with the watered-down version, which some environmental groups have argued is now ineffective.
Germany has admitted that this version of the law won’t get Germany to the 2030 target like the previous version, calling for an earlier green switch than the softer version that was approved.