Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) has shown upset about the continuing resistance of the Union parliamentary group against a 50% distribution of the CO2 price between tenants and landlords. "We have a fixed appointment with the Chancellery and all Union ministries to split the CO2 price fairly between tenants and landlords," she told the newspapers of the Funke media group. "I wonder what fixed agreements and all the Union's commitments to socially just climate protection are worth if real estate lobbyists in the CDU / CSU parliamentary group can simply prevent such progress."

Union faction vice-chairman Thorsten Frei (CDU) said on Tuesday evening that there is currently no law that provides for a 50-50 division between tenants and landlords.

"I don't see a majority for this in the parliamentary procedure either." This reduces the chances that the issue will be cleared away before the federal election in September.

Minister Schulze told the Funke media group: "I am confident that by the end of the year we can form a government on this side of the Union that can resolve and implement such sensible and fair solutions for climate protection."

Actually already agreed

The black and red federal government announced a compromise in mid-May, according to which landlords should bear half of the costs of the CO2 price on oil and gas that has been in effect since January 1st.

The SPD had fought for the compromise for months.

Originally, it was planned to anchor the new cost allocation in law by next week at the latest.

According to the currently applicable regulation, landlords can pass the additional costs for the CO2 price on to tenants - via the ancillary cost accounting, as well as all other heating costs.

Landlord and owner associations had protested violently against the planned new regulation.

The CO2 price of currently 25 euros per tonne of CO2 has made fossil fuels more expensive since the beginning of the year.

The SPD-led Ministry of Justice calculated in its draft law for an average 140 square meter apartment with 165 euros additional costs per year.

In this case, landlords should in future pay 82.50 euros from their own coffers.

However, if a tenant incurs excessive costs, the landlord would have to bear them accordingly.

Union for the polluter pays principle

The Union parliamentary group argues that landlords have no influence on the heating behavior of tenants and should therefore not be involved in CO2 price costs.

“In tenancy law, the polluter pays principle applies to ancillary costs, which means that the tenant bears costs that depend on his consumption.

We should hold on to this, ”affirmed Frei.

Schulze, on the other hand, emphasized that she considers dividing the CO2 price to be more fair and also better for climate protection.

"Because it is the landlords who decide whether to install new heating systems."