section_path: Political positions/Environmental policy
section_name: Environmental policy
paragraph_text: Environmental policy
  
  In April 2023, Merz declared that everyone in the CDU takes the issue of climate change very seriously. However, he went on to claim that the issue of climate change is overrated in the political debate and that the German population does not see the problem as significant as politicians do. Merz went on to deny that time is running out for successful climate change measures and that the country will be on the right track if it makes the right decisions over the next decade.
  
  In 2023, Merz opposed the proposed EU phase-out of fossil fuel vehicles and hybrid vehicles by 2035, stating that the fight for net-zero emissions "must be achieved with technology and open-mindedness, not bans".
  
  He blamed the crisis at Volkswagen on the Scholz government's focus on electromobility.
  
  Merz supports a business-friendly adaptation of the European Green Deal.