Breaking
RURussian skateboarder Ulyana Dudina won a bronze medal at the World Skate Games in AsuncionFRFather Jean-Bernard Plessy placed in police custody for aggravated rapePLA pedestrian was fatally hit by a fire brigade vehicle in ŁódźRUIn Arkhangelsk, a woman died and three were injured in an accident with four cars.DEPeter Hegemann ignored the Nobel Committee's request for a call back shortly before the Nobel Prize was announcedITOmani co-pilot admits: "I did it to avenge Gaza, I wanted to die as a martyr"ITItaly-Türkiye live: last match of the break for the national teams in the Nations LeagueSESeveral seriously injured in bus accident outside VäxjöRUA copy of the Revelation of St. John the Evangelist with a cover by Salvador Dali stolen from a museum in FranceRUExplosion in Sumy against the backdrop of an air raidRURussian skateboarder Ulyana Dudina won a bronze medal at the World Skate Games in AsuncionFRFather Jean-Bernard Plessy placed in police custody for aggravated rapePLA pedestrian was fatally hit by a fire brigade vehicle in ŁódźRUIn Arkhangelsk, a woman died and three were injured in an accident with four cars.DEPeter Hegemann ignored the Nobel Committee's request for a call back shortly before the Nobel Prize was announcedITOmani co-pilot admits: "I did it to avenge Gaza, I wanted to die as a martyr"ITItaly-Türkiye live: last match of the break for the national teams in the Nations LeagueSESeveral seriously injured in bus accident outside VäxjöRUA copy of the Revelation of St. John the Evangelist with a cover by Salvador Dali stolen from a museum in FranceRUExplosion in Sumy against the backdrop of an air raid
Newsgather
All StoriesWorldSportsFinanceTechScienceHealthCultureClimatePoliticsSpace
BackState Secretary Jochen Flasbarth leaves the Federal Environment Ministry for the European Climate Foundation
State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth leaves the Federal Environment Ministry for the European Climate Foundation
Politics
Die Zeit1 hour agoPolitics1 min readGermanyView original

State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth leaves the Federal Environment Ministry for the European Climate Foundation

jochen flasbarthFederal Environment MinistryEuropean Climate Foundation

Quick Look

  • Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary in the Federal Environment Ministry, will resign from his position and move to the European Climate Foundation.
  • Environment Minister Carsten Schneider announced this in a letter to the workforce.
  • Flasbarth has shaped German and international climate policy for decades.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Jochen Flasbarth was State Secretary in the Federal Environment Ministry from 2013 to 2021 before returning in May 2025. In between, he worked in the Ministry of Development.

Font size

Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary in the Federal Environment Ministry, wants to give up his position and move to the influential European Climate Foundation next year. Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) announced this in a letter to the workforce, which was available to the German Press Agency. “Spiegel” had previously reported on the 64-year-old’s decision.

“With Jochen Flasbarth, a veteran of German environmental and climate policy is leaving our company,” writes Schneider. In the past decades he has “shaped German, European and international environmental and climate policy in a unique way,” including as President of the German Nature Conservation Association (Nabu), as President of the Federal Environment Agency and as State Secretary in the Federal Environment Ministry.

Flasbarth previously held this position from 2013 to 2021 before returning to the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety as State Secretary when the government was formed in May 2025. In the meantime he worked as a state secretary in the Ministry of Development. According to Schneider, his successor will be Heike Henn, who currently heads the department for international climate policy in the ministry, in November.

According to “Spiegel”, the European Climate Foundation, headquartered in The Hague, is one of the world’s most important donors for climate policy projects. According to the report, in 2025 it had a budget of almost 258 million euros.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • Heike Henn will take over the position of State Secretary in the Federal Environment Ministry in November.

    Very likely · Within weeks

Open Questions

  • What specific role will Flasbarth take on at the European Climate Foundation?
  • How will his change affect German climate policy?

Related Topics

jochen flasbarth
PeopleJochen FlasbarthCarsten SchneiderHeike Henn
OrganizationsFederal Environment MinistryEuropean Climate FoundationNature Conservation Association Germany (Nabu)Federal Environment Agency
PlacesThe HagueFederal Republic of Germany
TopicsFederal Environment MinistryEuropean Climate Foundationcarsten schneiderclimate policySecretary of Stateenvironment minister
This article was originally published by Die Zeit.

Related Stories

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is examining connections between Berlin's left-wing top candidate Elif Eralp and terrorist groups
Developing·

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is examining connections between Berlin's left-wing top candidate Elif Eralp and terrorist groups

The head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Sinan Selen, spoke in the Bundestag about the connections of Berlin's left-wing top candidate Elif Eralp and other politicians to terrorist groups. Among other things, meetings with Kurdish organizations and previous membership in the left-wing extremist “Red Help” were mentioned. The authorities are investigating whether Eralp and Ferat Kocak have connections to the PKK.

Die Welt
2 min read
Declaration of war on China: Merz and Macron are calling for a tougher course
Developing·

Declaration of war on China: Merz and Macron are calling for a tougher course

France and Germany are opting for a more confrontational China policy. France has been pursuing a tougher course for some time, while Germany has so far been cautious. Now Berlin is also signaling a tougher stance towards Beijing, as a joint letter from Friedrich Merz and Emmanuel Macron shows. The initiative raises questions about the risks of this geopolitical maneuver.

Spiegel Deutschland
1 min read
The Left is suing the Federal Minister of Economics for an alleged breach of neutrality
Developing·

The Left is suing the Federal Minister of Economics for an alleged breach of neutrality

The Left has filed a lawsuit with the Federal Constitutional Court against Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche because she published a critical video about the party on the ministry's official Instagram channel. The party sees this as a violation of the neutrality requirement and demands that the post be deleted as well as a signal against party-political abuse of official channels. The ministry confirmed receipt of the urgent application, but is not providing any further information about the ongoing procedure.

Tagesschau Inland
2 min read
More on this topicjochen flasbarth