Is the tax relief programme about to fall through? A fiasco for Germany’s energy efficiency policy

geea comments on the evident failure of the tax relief programme for energy-efficient building refurbishment

“A failure of the second attempt at introducing tax relief on energy-efficient refurbishment would represent an absolute fiasco for energy efficiency policy,” says Stephan Kohler, Spokesman of the “Allianz für Gebäude-Energie-Effizienz” (geea) – “Alliance for Building Energy Efficiency” – on the occasion of the evident failure of the government’s programme for tax relief on energy-efficient refurbishment.

“The tax relief programme is a vital factor for driving the energy-efficient refurbishment market. Energy efficiency must be firmly established as the second pillar of the energy transition. Politicians agree that this measure will have a number of positive effects, ranging from climate protection to lower dependence on energy imports and a positive impact on economic activity. Simple implementation problems must not be allowed to spell the end of the programme. These political disputes clearly show that Germany still has a long way to go to achieve a consistent energy efficiency policy. If the tax relief programme is now abandoned, a crucial component of both the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan and the Climate Protection action programme would be missing. In addition, inconsistent policies have a negative impact on acceptance and trust among the population which is a vital factor in the implementation of the energy transition. geea is asking the responsible politicians to swiftly agree on a proposal that is acceptable to all sides,” says Stephan Kohler.

The “Allianz für Gebäude-Energie-Effizienz” (geea) – “Alliance for Building Energy Efficiency” is a cross-sector consortium of leading representatives from industry, research, skilled crafts, planning, power supply and financing. The Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena) – the German Energy Agency – is the initiator of geea and is responsible for coordinating the consortium’s activities.

Further information is available at www.geea.info.