Cost estimate for municipal climate protection – civity has developed a tool for municipalities as part of GermanZero’s Climate Referendum campaign
With its Climate Referendum project, NGO GermanZero e. V. intends to introduce the climate protection measures required in all German cities. Demand for climate referendums and their implementation are a central part of GermanZero’s strategy to make ‘Germany climate-neutral by 2035’: Citizens are becoming active and demanding climate protection directly through citizen petitions and referendums. This creates pressure ‘from below’, forcing local politicians to take determined action to address the climate-friendly development of the city.
In order to be able to specify demand for climate-positive change, civity – working together with a group of experts on municipal climate protection – has developed a calculation tool to help municipalities plan and implement the right climate protection measures for them. The results from the tool, which can be used by municipalities throughout Germany, are incorporated into a ‘climate city map’ that is tailored to local conditions. This guide provides a solid overview of the most important measures at municipal level as well as a first idea of the associated financial and personnel expenditure for the respective municipality.
Following first kick-off events by civic groups in Essen, Konstanz, Münster and Berlin, the GermanZero campaign is now taking off. We are pleased to have contributed towards this important project and are looking forward to the upcoming climate referendums and transformation processes in the municipalities.
Update: August 2020
Our congratulations go to the city of Konstanz and GermanZero for completing the first climate city map and we hope that many more cities will follow suit to become climate positive by 2030. Our decision to support GermanZero in this endeavour and to offer additional pro-bono services both by the company and some of our own employees was absolutely right. We are pleased to have been able to contribute towards this important project and eager to see the transformation processes in the municipalities.
For more information about the GermanZero campaign – or if you yourself want to start a climate referendum in your municipality – click here.