Do not overburden medium-sized companies
Members of State Parliament Fühner and Evers at Klasmann-Deilmann
Members of the state parliament Christian Fühner and Lara Evers (both CDU) were guests at Klasmann-Deilmann. They were received by Managing Director Bernd Wehming and Dirk Röse, Head of Corporate Communications. The reason for the visit was the faltering dialog with politicians about the future of peat extraction and use for horticultural purposes. The German government intends to significantly reduce the use of peat for horticultural purposes by 2030. In this context, the state government in Hanover recently passed a nature conservation law that prohibits new permits for peat extraction.
“To a certain extent, we support the concerns of politicians,” explains Bernd Wehming. “For climate and environmental protection reasons, renewable raw materials are becoming increasingly important. Klasmann-Deilmann is therefore investing heavily in wood, compost, bark and cocos. In combination with peat, this is the future.” At an international level, Klasmann-Deilmann used 940,000 cubic meters of renewable raw materials for the production of growing media last year. “We are undergoing a far-reaching transformation,” says Bernd Wehming, “and are taking the realignment very seriously. But this development will take time. Peat will remain an essential raw material for horticultural applications even after 2030, and Germany is developing into an import market. Forcing a premature exit from peat use would endanger the substrate industry and, above all, countless nurseries.”
“For the substrate industry, which is dominated by medium-sized companies, this change is associated with great effort and high investments,” confirms Christian Fühner, Member of the State Parliament. “We welcome Klasmann-Deilmann’s commitment, which is leading to significant progress. We can only keep advising the ministries in Hanover not to overburden SMEs. The demands and timelines for companies must not be exaggerated.”
Member of Parliament Lara Evers reported that the Lower Saxony Nature Conservation Act will be renegotiated in the fall. “We will then once again present the views of the substrate sector. We will also push for framework conditions that make it easier for companies to gain the necessary access to renewable raw materials. It is not acceptable to simply turn off the tap for the industry,” says Lara Evers. “We also need to create new opportunities elsewhere.”
Dirk Röse referred to the example of the Netherlands. There is close and consensual cooperation between politicians, substrate manufacturers and climate protection associations. It has been agreed to gradually and responsibly reduce the use of peat without aiming to phase it out. “We need a round table with all stakeholders,” says Dirk Röse, “to discuss what is feasible on an equal footing and reach a consensus. Our hope is that the red-green coalition will engage in dialog.”
Picture from left: Bernd Wehming (Managing Director Klasmann-Deilmann), MdL Lara Evers (CDU), MdL Christian Fühner (CDU), Dirk Röse (Corporate Communications Klasmann-Deilmann)