Brandenburg exceeds EU climate target: 57% less greenhouse gases!

Brandenburg exceeds EU climate target: 57% less greenhouse gases!

Brandenburg shows how it works: The federal state has already exceeded the EU climate target for reducing climate-damaging greenhouse gases. Economics Minister Daniel Keller (SPD) proudly announced that Brandenburg will have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by an impressive 57 percent in 2024 compared to 1990. The EU target calls for a reduction of just 55 percent by 2030. The federal government has also set itself ambitious goals, with a targeted reduction of 65 percent. But Brandenburg wants to go one step further and plans to emit 74 percent fewer greenhouse gases by 2030. “It is long past time that we not only talk, but also act,” said Keller, who emphasized that the SPD/BSW state government wants to continue investing in climate protection in order to achieve these ambitious goals.

But not everyone sees the development with goodwill. The AfD rejects funds for climate protection. Your parliamentary group leader Hans-Christoph Berndt expressed doubts about the human influence on climate change and said it was “marginal at best”. Nevertheless, it is widely accepted that human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation contribute significantly to increasing greenhouse gases. As Europarl.eu shows, we as the EU should reduce emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030 and achieve CO2 neutrality by 2050.

Investments in climate protection

The Brandenburg Ministry of Climate Protection plays an important role in this transformation process. It supports the municipalities with an impressive investment package for 2023 and 2024, which includes up to 56.5 million euros. These funds are financed from emergency borrowing by the state government. The aim is to alleviate the disruption caused by energy shortages, rising prices and inflation, and to reduce dependence on fossil energy sources. Great importance is also placed on the implementation of climate protection measures, as can be found in the documents of the Brandenburg package.

The local administrations are faced with a Herculean task: in 2023, the Brandenburg municipalities will receive a one-off 21 million euros. 20.5 million euros are planned for 2024. These funds are made available without any additional bureaucratic effort, so that something can actually be moved quickly and efficiently. The measures focus on saving energy, increasing energy efficiency and expanding renewable energies, which also benefits local decision-makers.

A look beyond the borders

The developments in Brandenburg are also part of a larger European trend. The EU has become a pioneer in the fight against greenhouse gas emissions and in 2020 already set emissions 31 percent below 1990 levels. The implementation of the European Green Deal, which provides for far-reaching measures for decarbonization by 2050, will also contribute to Brandenburg's ambitious goals. This makes it clear how important collective commitment to climate protection is in order to preserve the earth for future generations.

Climate protection is therefore not only a duty, but also an opportunity for Brandenburg and the entire European region to actively contribute to overcoming the challenges of climate change. If everyone does their part, the energy transition can succeed - and with it Brandenburg could serve as a real role model.