Göttingen threatens the climate target: citizens are in demand! Action necessary!

Göttingen threatens the climate target: citizens are in demand! Action necessary!

Göttingen. In Göttingen, the goal of climate neutrality is rated as difficult to reach by 2030. This assessment comes from the climate council, which wants to speak that there is an urgent need for action in order to achieve the specified goals. The focus is on the areas of energy generation, mobility, construction and renovation as well as economy in which the city urgently needs to reduce greenhouse gases (THG). The climate council has found that the city has not yet made enough progress in these areas.

The climate examination analyzed the situation and came to the conclusion that Göttingen can only meet two thirds of the necessary goals in energy generation. The city has a need to catch up, especially in the area of photovoltaics: only six percent of the suitable roofs are equipped with solar systems. Here Nils sees the citizens of the climate council. "About half of all PV systems required would have to be installed on private roofs," he explains. According to the king, citizens could significantly contribute to the implementation of the climate goals through active action.

urban communication must be clearer

The reserved participation of the citizens is partly due to inadequate information for Claudia Trepte, a member of the climate council. Many people could wrongly assume that the city can achieve climate neutrality alone. "We have to make it clear that nothing will happen without the active participation of the citizens," says Trepte.

Especially in the area of building and renovation, a rethink could take place, since this sector has a significant share in urban energy consumption. The use of heat pumps and better insulated houses could significantly reduce energy consumption. However, there are no more precise statistics on the current state of energetic renovations in private households.

Mobility and Transport: A large field of action

Another central topic is the mobility of the Göttingen citizens. The demands vary here: Some demand the expansion of bicycle paths, while others want cheaper parking options and improved public transport. König describes the current climate plan traffic development as "failed" because the set goals of reducing CO₂ emissions by 38 percent by 2025 are not even approximately achieved.

The climate council emphasizes that Göttingen must also become more active in the area of economic development. Since the economy is responsible for a significant share of THG emissions, concrete measures are necessary. König calls for a better information policy to educate companies about their opportunities to reduce emissions and to inform them about existing funding opportunities. "The best ideas already exist, but the initiative is needed to implement it," he emphasizes.

The climate council expects the city administration to retain its approach and actively integrate citizens and companies into the measures. The next meeting in the municipal committee for the environment, climate protection and mobility on October 29 could provide decisive answers to the open questions. The Göttingeners have to be mobilized to make their contribution to achieving the climate goals, otherwise the deadline for climate neutrality will pass without visible progress.