The Berlin FDP accuses the likely new government partners, the CDU and SPD, of setting wrong priorities when dealing with climate change. Instead of concentrating solely on achieving climate neutrality as soon as possible in 2045 than previously planned, they would have to put a much stronger focus on the topic of climate resilience, demanded FDP country chief Christoph Meyer in an interview with the German Press Agency. This adjustment to deal with the consequences of global warming plays practically no role in the coalition agreement.
“The goal at federal and state level to be climate-neutral by 2045 is very ambitious,” said the FDP member of the Bundestag. “To say now that I will use all resources to achieve this goal sooner is not an efficient use of funds.” In his view, the money would be better invested if, on the one hand, the goal of 2045 was adhered to and at the same time, the necessary adaptation measures to climate change were tackled , some of which cost a lot.
As an example, he cited “fresh air corridors” for the city, for example at Tempelhofer Feld, on the edge of which more than 10,000 urgently needed apartments could be built at the same time. Rain retention basins are also important for more climate resilience in order to be prepared for increasing heavy rain events, or, for example, vertical greening, i.e. planted house walls, as they already exist in other cities.
The focus on the billion-dollar special fund is a placebo.
Christopher Meyer, Berlin’s FDP chairman, on the climate plans of the CDU and SPD
In their coalition agreement, the CDU and SPD have set themselves the goal of creating a special fund of five to ten billion euros for more climate protection with the help of loans. Above all, they want to invest the money in the energetic refurbishment of buildings, in mobility and transport as well as in fossil-free energy and heat generation.
“The focus on the billion-dollar special fund is a placebo,” said Meyer. Questions such as the tense budget situation, high interest rates or a shortage of skilled workers would be ignored. “The question is: Can the funds really be brought to the streets or into the houses in a sensible and economical way?”
Another question is: “How much global climate can I actually save in Berlin?” Meyer reminded that Berlin has low per capita emissions of climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) compared to other federal states, not least because of a smaller proportion of industry and less own energy production.
“Therefore, the contribution that Berlin can make to climate neutrality as a whole is already clearly limited,” he said. “So Berlin has much less leverage. It therefore has to use significantly more resources than other federal states to achieve the same CO2 savings.” (dpa)
