Speaking at a pre-election town hall event on RTL television on Sunday, Merkel urged German carmakers, all of which were found to have used tactics to deceive nitrogen emissions tests, to work on rebuilding public trust in diesel. Merkel emphasized the importance of diesel in achieving climate protection goals, despite the fact that diesel cars emit less carbon dioxide but more nitrogen dioxide, which can lead to respiratory issues in high concentrations. She acknowledged the differences in legal systems between Germany and the US as a reason for the varying compensation received by car owners affected by the scandal. Merkel stressed the need for German carmakers to adequately compensate owners whose vehicles lost value due to the scandal to avoid potential damage to the reputation of the German car industry. The auto sector's future in Germany, which is the country's largest exporter and provides 800,000 jobs, has become a major topic in the upcoming election. Politicians are pointing fingers at executives and each other for the sector's damaged reputation following Volkswagen's admission of cheating on US emissions tests nearly two years ago.