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Germany misses deadline for climate social plan – 5.3 billion at risk!
Germany has missed the deadline for climate social plans, which could result in billions in losses from the EU fund.
Germany misses deadline for climate social plan – 5.3 billion at risk!
The deadline for submitting national climate social plans to the EU Commission ended on June 30, 2025 - a deadline that Germany did not meet. As a result, Germany could suffer a loss of up to 5.31 billion euros from the new EU climate social fund, as [fr.de](https://www.fr.de/politik/merz-verpasst-klimasocialplan- Frist-deutschland-koennten-hohe-kosten-entlassen-zr-93808618.html) reports. A spokesman for the Federal Environment Ministry explained that funding proposals were still being worked on, while the black-red federal government had not yet presented any concrete measures to support citizens.
This missed deadline could have far-reaching consequences. Critics such as Green Party leader Felix Banaszak warned of significant consequences in a letter to Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil. The EU Climate Social Fund, which is part of the upcoming EU emissions trading system ETS II, will come into force in 2027 and is intended to cushion social hardships caused by CO₂ pricing. The fund has the potential to provide 7.1 billion euros for Germany, provided an own contribution of 1.77 billion euros is provided - a point that remains unclear so far.
The Climate Social Fund and its goals
The Climate Social Fund aims to help households affected by carbon pricing, which means it supports measures to combat energy and mobility poverty. Europarl.europa.eu highlights that the EU plans to adopt common definitions for energy poverty - households without access to necessary energy services - and mobility poverty - households struggling with high transport costs or limited access to affordable transport - to create. Particular attention is paid to remote or disadvantaged regions such as islands or mountain areas.
To access the Fund's resources, Member States must develop national social climate plans. These plans must be based on nationwide consultations and include all planned measures to support low-income households, transport users and micro-enterprises. Climate.ec.europa.eu explains that the social climate plan aims to provide appropriate answers to the challenges of climate change through investments in energy efficiency, renovation of buildings and support for low-emission mobility measures.
The challenge of implementation
The current federal government now faces a major challenge. According to current plans, an initial amount of 320 million euros would be available for 2026, followed by around 800 million euros annually in the following years. 18 environmental, climate and social associations have already contributed proposals for the rapid restructuring of the transport and building sectors, which include investments in heat pumps, the expansion of e-mobility and a nationwide social ticket.
Above all, time is of the essence: the old traffic light government had already announced “climate money”, but this was inadequately implemented. The Climate Social Fund is a big step towards social and ecological justice, but viable plans must now be developed to realize the benefits of a just and socially acceptable transition.