It's obviously the appeal of large numbers.

After the Bundeswehr had been promised an extra 100 billion euros a week earlier in order to be able to strengthen its defense capability after Russia's attack on Ukraine, the government announced twice as much for the energy transition - and with it greater independence from oil and electricity gas imports.

Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and Climate Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) agreed on this in the ongoing budget deliberations for 2022 and the following years.

Manfred Schaefers

Business correspondent in Berlin.

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"This government is making more than 200 billion euros available for energy security and climate protection by 2026," said Habeck.

This is a nice success after intensive negotiations.

"More urgently than ever we have to invest in our energy sovereignty." Lindner confirmed the agreement with the words: "I assume that by 2026 we will have about 200 billion euros for climate protection, charging infrastructure, hydrogen technology, the modernization of industry, also the abolition of the EEG surcharge to relieve people."

Victory for Habeck

It's a much-needed victory for the Greens in general and for Economics Minister Robert Habeck in particular - or at least it looks like it.

According to reports, the Vice Chancellor, like his party friends, was only informed late about the planned Bundeswehr special fund.

Green politicians then warned against using the funds only to increase armaments spending.

For example, the budget politician Sebastian Schäfer argued to the FAZ before the weekend: "The geostrategic situation requires further significant investments in energy security and global cooperation."

The pressure apparently helped - or is it just a projection of old planning figures?

The answer to that is not that easy.

Even in circles of budget politicians there is no tableau that would answer all questions at a glance.

But one thing is certain: With the latest supplementary budget, the traffic light coalition has already massively increased the energy and climate fund.

60 billion euros were channeled directly there.

Added to this are the reserves that the fund already had.

Overall, this should result in a figure of more than 100 billion euros, which would be available after the renaming of the fund for climate protection and the country's transformation.

But that is by no means everything that will be available for this area of ​​responsibility in the coming years anyway, even without adding more.

The proceeds from the sale of carbon dioxide certificates, which some companies need in order to be able to produce, flow into the fund.

Last year, revenue of 2.7 billion euros was planned, in the end it was almost twice as high, it was 5.3 billion euros.

Added to this was the money from CO2 pricing.

The actual was close to the target: at 7.2 billion euros, it was 200 million euros less than expected.

Together, this amounts to 12.5 billion euros for the past year.

Inflows will continue to rise

With five years - Lindner and Habeck finally talk about the period 2022 to 2026 - that is extrapolated to a total of more than 60 billion euros.

But it is already foreseeable today that the inflows to the climate and transformation fund will continue to rise.

With the increasing pricing of carbon dioxide emissions from the previous government, which is steadily increasing, the inflow is growing.

After the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Economics Department, it will be ensured that the climate fund will receive a total of 30 billion euros this year.

This would largely close the remaining gap of 40 billion.

As was heard from coalition circles on Monday, the funds are to come from three sources: CO2 certificates, carbon dioxide pricing and the federal budget.

What lies behind the last point is a big question mark.

Are you planning to repeat the operation from the latest supplementary budget: new credit authorizations in a Corona year to create more leeway?

This option was deliberately left open in the coalition agreement.

It will only be “checked” there.