Does bureaucracy endanger the climate transition in the skilled trades?

The Rhineland-Palatinate crafts sees itself not unjustly as a supporting pillar and pioneer in the implementation of the climate transition in the state. Neither the energy-efficient home nor personal electromobility would be conceivable without skilled trades – and these are just two examples. This insight is also gaining increasing acceptance in politics: "Sustainability is in the DNA of skilled trades businesses in Rhineland-Palatinate. As an important driver of the regional economy, they recognize trends and live the concept of sustainability in the best sense. They position their businesses not only with an eye on the next balance sheet, but also for the next generation," said Minister of economic Affairs Daniela Schmitt At the end of June in the Rhineland-Palatinate State Representation in Brussels.

Therefore – and there is also widespread agreement on this – the craft play a special role in the implementation of the "European Green Deal". But the Initiative, with which the European Commission aims to make the EU climate neutral by 2050, not only brings new opportunities for the craft sector. Many business owners fear that the Green Deal on bureaucratic challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises which would call into question milestones already achieved in sustainable economic development.

European climate targets cannot be achieved without skilled trades

Tim Krögel, Eric Schaaf, Michael Zimmermann, Melanie Temmes, and Ralf Hellrich in conversation with presenter Katrin Pribyl. Photo: © Andreas Schröder

In order to raise awareness among the representatives of the European Parliament about this danger, the Association of the Rhineland-Palatinate Chambers of Crafts Trier, Rheinhessen, Pfalz and Koblenz came to Brussels at the invitation of Minister Schmitt. "Without the skilled trades, achieving the European climate goals is not possible," emphasized Kurt Krautscheid, spokesman for the Association of Chambers of Crafts in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Er appealed to the political representatives present, including the Vice-President of the European Parliament Katarina Barley, which The pandemic, shortage of skilled workers, material shortages and the war in Ukraine should not place even greater burdens on companies already overburdened"Small businesses, in particular, are disproportionately affected by bureaucracy. In many cases, they must meet identical requirements as large companies without having even remotely comparable resources," Krautscheid argued.

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Companies report on their experiences

Eric Schaaf, Managing Director of Die Tischlertekten GmbH & Co. KG, Melanie Temmes, owner of Gries Butcher Shop, and Michael Zimmerman, Managing Director of Zimmermann Roofing GmbH and Vice President of the Rheinhessen Chamber of Crafts, reported in a panel discussion with Ralf Hellrich, Managing Director of the Koblenz Chamber of Crafts, and Tim Krögel, Head of the Representation of the Central Association of German Skilled Crafts (ZDH) in Brussels, what their three companies are already doing for the climate transition and what impact increasing bureaucratic burdens are having on their daily work. The ZDH observes that Europe-wide regulations are mostly drawn up with large corporations in mind, Krögel summarized an important aspect of the problem. Examples include Rules on supply chains or packaging informationThe tenor of the entrepreneurs present was that compliance with such rules would not only quickly push small craft businesses to the limits of what is feasible, but they would often also make little sense for small, regionally operating businesses.

Katarina Barley (front) and Daniela Schmitt (front, third from left) with representatives of the Rhineland-Palatinate skilled trades in Brussels. Photo: © Andreas Schröder

"As co-creators of the climate transition, our craft businesses need a reliable roadmap", emphasized Bernd Elsen, Vice President of the Trier Chamber of Crafts, on the sidelines of the event. According to Elsen, given the current economic and global political situation, climate targets should be as long-term as possible. In order to implement the plans as quickly as possible, politicians are called upon to take the necessary Take measures to meet the demand for skilled workers in Europe"As a key component of this, vocational training must be strengthened," said the master electrician. For Michael Zimmermann, this is primarily a question of social appreciation for craftsmanshipThe role of skilled trades in implementing the climate transition could help to further improve the image of careers with apprenticeships. However, as was again made clear in Brussels, continue to need political help if we want to attract more young people to training.

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