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Climate goals in danger: Schwerin discusses postponement and vigil planned!
On November 10th, Schwerin will discuss climate goals; Vigils threaten. BUND calls for climate neutrality by 2035.
Climate goals in danger: Schwerin discusses postponement and vigil planned!
The city of Schwerin is facing a crucial meeting on November 10th where the future of its climate goals will be discussed. The focus of the debate is the question of whether the ambitious goal of climate neutrality by 2035 should be postponed to 2045 or whether the climate emergency that has already been declared should be lifted. This reports Northern Courier.
The pressure on the city council is growing. The Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND) has announced a vigil to protect climate goals on November 13th. This follows a previous vigil that took place in front of the town hall on October 14th with over 50 citizens. Public opinion is clear: 18 companies, several civil society initiatives and 567 individuals have signed an open letter calling for the climate target to be maintained until 2035.
Political disputes
The political fronts have hardened. In the main committee, applications from the CDU and AfD were rejected. A motion from the CDU that called for the climate target to be postponed by ten years ended in a stalemate: 5 votes for and 5 against, which led to 2 abstentions. The AfD's motion to lift the climate emergency, however, clearly failed - 7 votes were against and only 3 were in favor.
At a time when local companies such as GreenLife, Prysmian and Ypsomed are investing in future-oriented projects such as photovoltaics and the circular economy, Mareike Herrmann from BUND urgently warns of the consequences of a failed climate policy. Without drastic emissions reductions, global warming could increase by three degrees Celsius by 2050.
Climate protection is a municipal responsibility
However, Schwerin also shows how challenging climate protection is in municipal practice. According to that Federal Environment Agency Municipalities play a central role in climate protection, but often have to struggle with unclear framework conditions. Climate protection goals at different levels are often not coordinated, which makes implementation difficult. In addition, municipalities face many competing interests – from the economy to housing and mobility.
In order to get closer to the goal of greenhouse gas neutrality, comprehensive transformation processes are necessary. Measures such as the renovation of the entire building stock, the transformation of the transport sector towards environmentally friendly means of transport and a complete supply of renewable energy are essential. These steps can also bring numerous benefits, such as improving air quality, increasing energy efficiency and even creating new jobs.
It remains to be seen how the city council will respond to the demands of citizens and environmentalists and whether solidarity can emerge for climate protection in Schwerin. The conviction that climate protection offers opportunities for innovation, employment and regional value creation must be anchored in the political discourse in order to ensure the city's future development.