Overview
- Published government responses on June 6–7 say the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs cannot produce a robust estimate of the draft Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz’s climate impact or reliable forecasts for future gas, biomethane and green hydrogen prices.
- The draft removes the current 65% renewables requirement for new heating systems, would allow new oil and gas boilers, drops the planned 2045 ban on fossil heating and creates a phased 'Bio‑Treppe' to mandate rising shares of biogenic or synthetic fuels.
- The Bundesrat’s environmental committee and a coalition of Länder environment ministers have formally rejected central provisions and circulated a 59‑page expert critique that calls the bill poorly crafted and a step back for the heat transition.
- Experts and state officials warn the Bio‑Treppe depends on scarce and likely costly biomethane and synthetic fuels, the Greens invoke the constitutional prohibition on backsliding in climate protection, and the National Normenkontrollrat has sharply criticised the bill’s workmanship.
- Alternative approaches are entering the debate as the vote looms: several Länder seek a clause to keep or tighten local rules, researchers in Leuven report person‑centred heating can cut household heat use by about half, and consumers and landlords face new cost and planning uncertainty.