The CO2 tax comes in? DW Interview with the economic Christoph M. Schmidt about a possible pricing of carbon dioxide and future climate policy of the Federal government.
Deutsche Welle: What has triggered the current debate on CO2 tax in Germany politically?
Christoph M. Schmidt: The climate Cabinet, the Federal government has a clear roadmap. In the centre of the possible measures, the pricing of carbon dioxide is. If Germany goes this way, then it has a lot of weight.
You support this claim?
Yes. The movement Fridays for the Future, says: We want to provide a prize in the center. This is exactly the right way. This is a very sober, rational approach to a matter of the heart, an emotionally important topic to implement. It makes me hope.
How could such a CO2-tax in practice?
It is useful, with a concept to compete with the you get soft, with the clear aim to find the right price. It comes to show that it works, and not the whole world collapses. The uniform pricing of CO2, the saving of emissions in the most cost-would be designed the best, all the other approaches are more expensive. From the fear that you can’t explain to the voters to choose the expensive Alternative, the the wrong way would be.
Why does the politics of the CO2-tax that way?
The policy should embrace the theme itself. Everything you believe, can you also explain well. A simple way, the tax and price declare, there are. We need a lot of additional accompanying measures.
How likely is the introduction of such a CO2 tax?
It has become more likely, but not sure. There will be a pricing, but whether it is credible, that is a different question.
Angela Merkel will still be the climate Chancellor?
I think Yes. The hope is there.
The questions Astrid Prange introduced.
The economy Christoph M. Schmidt is the Chairman of the expert Council for the assessment of overall economic development. He is the President of the RWI – Leibniz Institute for economic research in Essen and Professor for economic policy and applied Econometrics at the Ruhr-University of Bochum.