City of Berlin plans to raise climate targets

The city of Berlin's government has approved a draft law that would significantly step up the German capital's climate protection ambitions, according to a dpa report carried by Tagesspiegel. The city’s new Energy Transition Act aims to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 65 percent by 2030 and at least 95 percent by 2050 at the latest, compared to 1990 levels. Berlin’s current climate targets aim for a 60 percent decrease in CO2 emissions by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050. The law would also require all public buildings to have solar power arrays installed on roofs from 2022 onwards. 

The law also stipulates stricter standards for new buildings and renovations to reduce the energy consumption of public buildings. State automotive fleets, including police and street-cleaning vehicles, and those of state-owned companies will need to be CO2-free by 2030. The draft law also calls for the city’s district heating network, which supplies 1.3 million households, to become CO2-free by 2050 at the latest. The move followed a proposed amendment by climate senator Regine Günther to the Energy Transition Act in order to toughen the city’s climate protection targets. The regional government approved the draft, which will now be discussed further in Berlin’s state parliament. Separately, the government also approved the expansion of the city’s electric tram network – a plan critics have long argued should be implementated far more quickly.