The Nuremberg economics professor and “economics” Veronika Grimm has accused German industry of deliberately slowing down the structural change towards more climate protection for too long. “One must not hide the fact that the industry has tried in part to stop this structural change. This can now take revenge if the crucial components for a more climate-friendly economy do not come from Europe,” Grimm said to dpa.

Politicians also have their share in this problem. “The structures favored this. Politicians, for example, have willingly supported the production of internal combustion engines again and again and thereby kept the pressure to initiate changes low,” said Grimm. “They thought too short-term and pursued conservation. That turned out to be not wise ex post,” emphasized Veronik Grimm.

Pressure to act In traffic, it has not yet been possible to reduce CO2 emissions since 1990. Due to the tightening of the climate targets in the EU and Germany, there is now considerable pressure to act, even with a view to the year 2030. “We are facing major challenges, especially in traffic, ten years is actually nothing at all in relation to the vehicle fleet,” stressed Grimm.

But one must always keep in mind that political decisions have to experience social acceptance. Last but not least, the climate movement of recent years has made a paradigm shift possible. Climate protection offers great industrial policy opportunities and holds considerable growth potential.

“That means that we really have to move consistently in the direction of future technologies,” said Grim. It is particularly gratifying that the federal government has made investments for climate protection possible in its Corona aid packages even during the crisis. “We must now use the money that is on the table to accelerate the change to climate-neutral technologies and, in particular, to mobilize private capital,” said the economist. Since April she has been a member of the Economic Advisory Council, the most important economic policy advisory body to the German government.

European perspective According to In Grimm’s view, the interplay of the great technological competence in Germany and the good opportunities for generating renewable energies in southern EU countries opens up a perspective for Europe. “We should create cohesion in Europe through joint investments in the future through the construction fund,” she said.

“With digitization, that’s more difficult,” added Grimm. There is a lot of catching up to do here, for example in the health sector, in the education system or in the public sector. “The Corona crisis made us realize: A lot more could already be digitized here.”

(jk)