Germany’s Die Linke demands climate reparations for poor countries

The Die Linke party is pushing for Germany to pay reparations to developing countries for climate damage. Its MPs propose enshrining responsibility for such harm in law and obliging wealthy states to provide at least $300 billion a year by 2035 for climate protection and adaptation. This is reported by Freie Welt.

Why the Left says Germany should pay

Die Linke holds just 64 of the 630 seats in the Bundestag, but the party cannot be written off: it recently won the state election in Berlin with more than 25% of the vote.

According to the MPs’ calculations, since 1750 Germany has produced about 5.2% of global CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels and from industry. The party argues that German prosperity was built on activities that harm the climate and on extracting raw materials abroad. Germany became a rich country largely because of this, while people in other parts of the world pay for the consequences. That is why, the Left believes, Germany should be the one to pay.

What exactly the party proposes

Under Die Linke’s plan, Germany should not bear the burden alone: other industrialized countries should also contribute. The sum of $300 billion a year is roughly 6.5 trillion Czech crowns.

The money is to be provided as non-repayable grants rather than loans, so as not to deepen the debt crisis in poor countries. For financially weak states, the MPs also demand debt cancellation and a reform of the international tax system. In addition, the party calls for scrapping fossil fuel subsidies so that public money does not fuel the climate crisis.

Germany already spends billions of euros a year on international climate projects. However, Die Linke wants to go further and legally enshrine the country’s responsibility for climate damage. Similar initiatives from the party in the Bundestag have so far consistently met with resistance from both governing and opposition parties.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz