CO2-Bepreisung in Deutschland: Die Einnahmen endlich zurückgeben, aber nicht in Form eines Klimageldes
Diskussionspapier
Years after the introduction of the so-called CO2 pricing of fossil fuels for the purpose of climate protection, politicians have still not implemented the promise to redistribute the CO2 price revenues. Against this background, this article examines the social impact of carbon pricing, in particular the distributional effects for low-income private households, and presents a pragmatic proposal for the redistribution of revenues. This consists of a combination of measures to successively reduce the electricity price at any time: on the one hand, the reduction of electricity price components such as the electricity tax and, above all, the grid fees, which are used to finance the grid expansion that is essential for the energy transition, and on the other hand, the complete abolition of the numerous levies on the electricity price. The massive reduction in the price of electricity by more than 10 cents per kilowatt hour that would be possible if these proposals were implemented could drive forward the heat and transport transition in two ways: On the one hand through CO2 pricing of fossil fuels as a driving factor and on the other hand through the massive reduction in the price of electricity as an incentive. In times of massive financial bottlenecks in the Climate and Transformation Fund, it would be prudent to use the extremely scarce resources in such a way as to simultaneously advance the energy transition and relieve the burden on citizens and companies. This would be the case if the funds were used to reduce grid charges and the numerous levies on the electricity price, but not if a climate money were paid out. Politicians should therefore refrain from introducing a climate money in favor of lowering electricity prices.