"German Minister Threatens To Ban Weekend Driving Over Climate Law"

Volker Wissing, Germany’s transport minister, has argued that if amendments to the country’s climate laws are not brought in soon, he could be required to impose Draconian measures, such as a driving ban on weekends. Opponents have called the argument “false.”

Wissing is a member of the Free Democrat party and has long opposed climate measures such as speed limits on the Autobahn. Now, he is pushing for the government to introduce an amendment to allow heavily polluting industries to emit more than legally acceptable, as long as other industries pollute less to balance it all out across the country.

In a letter sent to the leaders of Germany’s ruling coalition of parties, first seen by Bild, Wissing claimed that not introducing the amendment “serves neither the climate nor the reputation of the federal government.”

He added that, without an amendment, the transport ministry would have to introduce “restrictive measures that are difficult to communicate to the population, such as comprehensive and indefinite driving bans on Saturdays and Sundays.”

In March, it was revealed that the transportation industry had failed to meet its legally binding emissions targets for 2023, reports The Local. Under law, Germany is bound to cut its emissions by 65 percent between 1990 and 2030, while meeting annual emissions targets.