As Germany prepares for the elections on February twenty-third, notable shifts in environmental policy are becoming apparent.

Unlike in Paris, where officials are pushing forward with sustainable initiatives like dedicated bike lanes, Berlin has started to roll back certain measures; for instance, vehicle access has been reinstated on Friedrichstrasse, a street that was previously limited to pedestrians and cyclists.

Taking the lead in this policy transformation, the Christian Democrats, under the leadership of CDU head Friedrich Merz, are promoting a decrease in the existing environmental objectives.

During recent campaign appearances, Merz criticized what he considered an excessive focus on climate protection, advocating for the elimination of subsidies for sustainable heat pumps and labeling wind turbines as unappealing, while also proposing a revival of nuclear energy.

These actions take place within a broader political discourse encompassing issues like migration, the cost of living, and education, raising doubts about Germany's long-term ambition to cut greenhouse gas emissions by sixty-five percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.