Die Papierindustrie: Coalition agreement - New government must support transformation

"The coalition is expressly committed to supporting the primary industries in achieving climate neutrality and, in this context, has recognized the need for competitive energy prices," said the association's president, Winfried Schaur. "The paper industry is prepared to help lead the way to climate neutrality in the planned Alliance for Transformation," the president said. However, it needs support to do so.The relief provisions, which at least partially compensate for the energy policy burdens on companies, must be continued for this purpose, Schaur added. With the planned abolition of the EEG levy, there would still be the need for the possibility of agreeing individual network charges, peak compensation in the area of energy and electricity tax, as well as benchmark allocation and electricity price compensation in European emissions trading. Even the elimination of only part of these reliefs could mean the immediate loss of the competitiveness necessary for effective climate protection and risk carbon leakage.

Schaur calls on policymakers to ensure that reliable energy supplies for industry are guaranteed at all times. To this end, renewable energies and the planned bridge technologies such as H2-ready gas-fired power plants would have to be available in parallel with the planned shutdown of coal and nuclear power.