Kehler: “Coalition Committee Sets the Framework – CO₂ Reduction Must Become the Guiding Principle of a Technology-Open Heat Ttransition.”

The leaders of the governing parliamentary groups discussed the Building Energy Act at yesterday’s meeting of the Coalition Committee. Dr. Timm Kehler, CEO of the association Die Gas- und Wasserstoffwirtschaft, expressed disappointment with the outcome:

“The Coalition Committee has once again reaffirmed its goal of creating a more technology-open, flexible, and simple Building Modernisation Act. Unfortunately, the new name is the only tangible result.

If CO₂ reduction is truly meant to become the central steering metric, then the law must finally take the entire CO₂ footprint of a building into account. The gas and hydrogen industry has proposed the Renewable Equivalence Approach, a concept that implements exactly what the coalition agreement explicitly envisages.

The heat transition will only gain momentum again if modernisers can rely on a fair level playing field – including green gases, hybrid solutions, and renovation measures already carried out, such as improvements to the building envelope. What is needed now are robust parameters to end the uncertainty in the market so that people can start investing again.”