National climate framework laws are a key instrument to support the transition to a climate-neutral society. By July 2023, almost half of the EU member states had adopted such laws. While these laws vary in their details, they typically include aspects such as set goals, planning steps, progress reviews, and opportunities for public participation.

This policy paper serves as a German translation of a memo on the 'Landscape of climate framework laws in Europe'. It provides a brief overview of the current status of national climate laws in Europe. It focuses in detail on the pending revisions to the German Climate Protection Law passed in 2019 and amended in 2021. On 21 June 2023, the federal government decided on a revised version of the Climate Protection Law with far-reaching changes, especially regarding the budget and monitoring system and climate planning. The paper shows how the planned revisions to the German law would weaken the German climate policy framework relative to the laws adopted in other European nations.

The analysis draws from the Climate Framework Laws Info-Matrix, a publicly available, online resource that aims to collect, organize, and present information on the status and substance of national climate framework laws in Europe, currently encompassing the 32 European Environment Agency (EEA) member countries plus the United Kingdom. The matrix presents a side-by-side comparison of existing laws and their provisions across five core elements: targets, planning tools, monitoring mechanisms, institutions for expert advice, and participation processes.