The German Social democrats, Greens and Liberals are the winners of the federal general elections of 26 September 2021. Together they published on 15 October 2021 the outcome of their exploration of a possible cooperation in the next German government. As a result they published a paper and recommend to their parties to approve the launch of official negotiations for a coalition government. The paper is so important because it proposes milestone for the programme of the new government. For the future climate and sustainability policy this means it needs to be enshrined to the new programme to have a chance to fly. Party bodies will meet over the weekend and negotiations could take of later next week.

Pillars for the future German governmental programme

The government in the making won't be dominated by environmental, social policy or economic policy. Instead, the three parties aim inline with the principle of sustainability at an integrated economic, social and environmental policy which could be titled: Aligning modernization of state and socio-ecologic market economy with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations 

These are the titles of the chapters of the paper:

1. Modern state and digital awakening
2. Climate protection in a socio-ecological market economy
3. Respect and opportunities in the modern world of work
4. Make social security citizen-friendly
5. Opportunities for children, strong families and the best education for a lifetime
6. Promote innovation and achieve new competitiveness
7. Offensive for affordable and sustainable construction and living
8. Freedom and Security, Equality and Diversity in Modern Democracy
9. Investments in the future and sustainable public finances
10. Germany's responsibility for Europe and the world

And in the following I compile a few quotes from the document to provide you with a an idea about the direction the new government may take with respect to climate and sustainability. The fast translation of the German text into English has been possible thanks to support by Dr Google. :)

However, I cannot guarantee for its correctness. In case of doubt please cross-check with the German original which is available under: https://www.spd.de/fileadmin/Dokumente/Sonstiges/20211015_Ergebnis_Sondierungen.pdf

Modern state and digital awakening

From the introduction

The next few years will be decisive in order to strengthen Germany and Europe - for the major challenges such as climate change, digitization, securing our prosperity, social cohesion and demographic change. The basis for this is a comprehensive renewal of our country. SPD (Social democrats), BÜNDNIS 90 / DIE GRÜNEN (the Greens) and FREIE DEMOKRATEN (LIBERALS) see that Germany needs a new start. We feel committed to progress together. We are united by the fact that we see opportunities in change.

From chapter 1

We want a fundamental change towards an enabling, learning and digital state that works proactively for its citizens. It's about making life easier. State action should become faster and more effective and promote economic and social innovation processes. We want to establish a new culture of cooperation, which is also fed by the strength of civil society.

Climate protection in a socio-ecological market economy

Man-made climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. We have to tackle the climate crisis together. This also offers great opportunities for our country and Germany as an industrial location: New business models and technologies can create climate-neutral prosperity and good work. We see it as our central joint task to bring Germany on the 1.5 degree path, as dictated by the Paris Climate Agreement and the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court.

We will continue to develop the Climate Protection Act consistently in 2022 and launch an immediate climate protection program with all the necessary laws, ordinances and measures. All sectors will have to contribute: transport, construction and housing, power generation, industry and agriculture. We will check compliance with the climate targets on the basis of a cross-sectoral and analogous to the Paris climate agreement. We make it our common mission to drastically accelerate the expansion of renewable energies and to remove all hurdles and obstacles. To this end, we will significantly accelerate the planning and approval process. We want to strengthen the decentralized expansion of renewable energies.

Promote innovation and achieve new competitiveness

We want to increase the competitiveness of Germany as a business location as the basis for sustainable growth, prosperity and high employment in a socio-ecological market economy. We will support companies and employees as best we can, promote innovation and create new confidence in entrepreneurship, innovation and entrepreneurship. To this end, we are strengthening start-up and start-up funding and reducing the bureaucracy involved in promoting and financing innovation.

Offensive for affordable and sustainable construction and living

We want to create more affordable living space. To do this, it is imperative to build significantly more apartments. Our goal is to build 400,000 new homes a year, of which 100,000 publicly funded apartments. To this end, we will invite all key players an “alliance for affordable housing”. In this context, we guarantee planning security for the construction industry to build up construction capacities.

We will reduce the costs of housing construction through serial construction, digitization, de-bureaucratisation and standardization. We will strengthen climate protection in new buildings and accelerate the energetic renovation of existing buildings in order to achieve the climate targets in the building sector as well.

Freedom and Security, Equality and Diversity in Modern Democracy

Germany is a modern country with a great diversity of society, in which different life plans, living conditions and origins come together. We see this diversity as an opportunity and want to organize fair participation in all areas and clearly oppose discrimination.

We want to adapt our legal system to social reality. To this end, we will, among other things, adapt citizenship law, family law, the right of parentage and the transsexual law as well as the regulations on reproductive medicine and, for example, make communities of responsibility or a pact for coexistence possible

Investments in the future and sustainable public finances

We want to turn the 2020s into a decade of future investments. To this end, we are pursuing a policy that significantly increases investments - both private and public.

We will safeguard the necessary future investments within the framework of the constitutional debt brake, particularly in climate protection, digitization, education and research as well as infrastructure. In order for the funds made available to be used, planning processes and approvals must be significantly accelerated; investment security must prevail. Capital collection points should be better able to invest in future technologies.

Germany's responsibility for Europe and the world

Germany is facing up to its global responsibility. As a country, we cannot cope with any of the major tasks of our time on our own.

We will strengthen the European Union (EU) to meet our responsibilities. We will make our foreign, security and development policy more value-based and more European. We want to increase Europe's strategic sovereignty.

(...)

Our security and the protection of our livelihoods require global cooperation, a strengthening of the United Nations and a rules-based international order. We support and strengthen initiatives such as the Alliance of Democracies. The transatlantic alliance is a central pillar and NATO is an indispensable part of our security. For us, Israel's security is a matter of state.

(...)

Looking from different perspectives, we want to develop a common understanding of Germany's role in the world. In future, German foreign policy should act from a single source and develop joint strategies across departments. The aim is multilateral cooperation in the world, especially in close connection with those states that share our democratic values. It is also about systemic competition with authoritarian states and dictatorships. We want to present a national security strategy and align our international actions with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). We want to ensure that Germany fulfils its international obligations in the area of development cooperation and international climate finance.

What's missing is, for instance, the mentioning of the or a new German sustainability strategy plus governance mechanism. Well, this is just the end of the exploration. Negotiations about the new government may begin later next week after approval of the conclusion through bodies of the three parties.

Source: The text produced by the three parties in German language can be downloaded from the Internet:

https://www.spd.de/fileadmin/Dokumente/Sonstiges/20211015_Ergebnis_Sondierungen.pdf