Nature conservation and climate action united in the Federal Environment Ministry
Carsten Schneider has taken up office as German Environment Minister. Following his appointment by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the handover ceremony today in the Berlin offices of the ministry, Schneider took over from his predecessor Steffi Lemke. He is joined by Parliamentary State Secretaries Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter and Carsten Träger. The Federal Cabinet also dealt with the organisational decree in its constitutive meeting yesterday evening. The decree stipulated that the ministry will be renamed the "The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety", BMUKN for short.
Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider: "As Environment Minister, I am coming into a ministry with a wealth of expertise and an excellent reputation. I look forward to advancing climate action in the coming years and to championing the conservation and improvement of our natural foundations of life in nature and the environment and the improvement of soils, water and air. Climate action and the protection of our natural foundations of life will be under one roof at the Federal Environment Ministry. Only a healthy natural environment can effectively help mitigate climate change and protect us humans. It is therefore the right move to reunite national and international climate action with nature conservation and environmental protection in the Federal Environment Ministry. To lower CO2 emissions in Germany, we will harness the potential of renewable energies and promote innovative technologies. Ambitious marine protection and the continuation of the Action Plan on Nature-based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity to strengthen important ecosystems in forests, peatlands and water bodies are also vital. At the same time, we will support cities, towns and municipalities in their nature conservation and climate change adaptation efforts so that they are better equipped to deal with the impacts of climate change that are already being felt today. Furthermore, lower consumption of primary raw materials and the establishment of an efficient circular economy are key levers for environmental protection. In the area of nuclear safety, I will work in dialogue with all stakeholders to speed up the search for a repository."
Carsten Schneider was born on 23 January 1976 in Erfurt. Following his Abitur (higher education entrance qualification) and completion of a bank clerk certified training course, he became the youngest elected Member of the German Bundestag in 1998. From 2005 to 2013, he served as the budget policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group. He subsequently served as the Deputy Chairman of the SPD parliamentary group until 2017. He then took on the role as First Parliamentary Secretary of the SPD parliamentary group and, from 2021, he served as Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor and Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany.
With the entry into force of the Federal Chancellor's organisational decree, the responsibilities and name of the ministry have changed. The Federal Ministry of Justice is taking over responsibility for consumer protection. The Federal Environment Ministry will assume responsibility for national and international climate action from the Federal Economic Affairs Ministry and the Federal Foreign Office, which were responsible for these areas since the 19th legislative period (14 March 2018 to 8 December 2021). The name of the ministry is therefore being changed to the "Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety", BMUKN for short.