Frankfurt: Climate decision initiative – Citizens’ initiative for the climate started
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fromThomas Stillbauer
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The Frankfurt Climate Decision Initiative has started collecting signatures. It can be signed in the Konstablermarkt – and in the forest.
Frankfurt – The collection of signatures is underway: the Climate Decision Frankfurt initiative launched its referendum on Thursday evening (November 25th, 2021) with a ceremony in the Frankfurt press club. “Should the city of Frankfurt am Main implement the connection between 15 climate policy goals?” Is the question, and a good 20,000 people will die in the coming weeks. Then the referendum can become a referendum, for which more than 80,000 votes are required in the second step.
Feyza Morgül, co-founder of the Climate Decision, said it was the highest to tackle the 15 goals on time emissions, energy, urban green and mobility. Almost 50 years ago, the research association Club of Rome called for action to avert a climate catastrophe, “but it has not really started to this day,” said Morgül. “We need the change towards a solidary, sustainable society.” More money has already been spent on coping with the corona pandemic than the EU has ever invested in climate protection, soon it will. “We are committed out of conviction. And we are outraged that we have to stand here, ”said Morgül, referring to quotes from the French resistance fighter and UN diplomat Stéphane Hessel.
The most important goal for the Frankfurt climate decision: climate neutrality
Climate decision activists then went into more detail on the individual demands. Che Chidi Chukwumerije outlined a vision of quiet and safe streets, beautiful children’s playgrounds, idyllic green spaces and a sense of community – “that’s why we’re here,” he said. Linda Rülicke described the referendum as “one of the few democratic means that are available to us”. The group of around 50 people spoke to experts in order to substantiate the 15 demands. The most important goal: “We have to become climate neutral as soon as possible. We need everyone for that. “
THE 15 CITIZENS ‘REQUESTS
1. The city adheres to the remaining carbon dioxide budget, which it must not exceed in order to comply with the 2015 Paris Agreement.
2. It convenes a working group on climate and environmental protection.
3. Annual energetic building renovation of at least four percent of the houses.
4. Program for solar systems on private house roofs.
5. Program for solar thermal energy on buildings that need heat all year round.
6. Trees for the city every year, 2000 new 10,000 square meters of green roof and facade on city buildings.
7. Rehabilitation of 250 city tree locations per year.
8. Unsealing to compensate for the increasing sealing through new buildings and traffic routes.
9. Rainwater utilization concepts for at least four public spaces per year.
10. Motorized traffic minus ten percent per year.
11. Priority for pedestrians and cyclists.
12. Trial monthly public transport ticket for new residents; Free annual pass for the first 5,000 who deregister their car.
13. Comprehensive rental system for e-bikes and e-cargo bikes, locations on previous car parking spaces.
14. More safety for pedestrians, for example through wider sidewalks.
15. More play streets on areas that are withdrawn from car traffic.
Frankfurt climate decision: Reduce energy consumption in apartments by up to 70 percent
The climate decision recognized the energetic renovation as one of the greatest levers that need to be moved. You can reduce the energy requirement for living space by up to 70 percent. However, this has to be done in a socially just manner – without passing the costs on to the tenants. So-called outreach energy advice can help. Tried in Offenbach, it doubled the renovation rate in the areas examined. The potential for heat and energy from solar collectors is also “huge”, but so far it has only been used to a limited extent. The referendum is supposed to accelerate the process.
In terms of mobility, the advance should create a reduction in car traffic and a lot more space for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, which up to now has to “jostle into too narrow a space”. Children could no longer play on the street and they have to be constantly careful not to be run over, said Georg Schmalhofer. “It doesn’t have to be like that. We can change that. ”The Radentscheid initiative has already achieved a lot -“ but we still have to do more, and not just in the city center ”. Anyone who is on foot or on the move must have priority with the whole city.
Frankfurt climate decision: Many signatures needed to achieve the goal
“Trees are air-conditioning systems,” said Mane Stelzer, who presented demands for the urban greenery category. Trees make the air cooler and more humid in hot summer – but the vegetation area in Frankfurt has decreased, while settlement and traffic areas have increased. Mini-forests, so-called Tiny Forests, as described by the Japanese researcher Akira Miyawaki, could help: fast-growing oases in every part of the city that the population takes care of together. Stelzer: “Urban greenery is air conditioning and happiness at the same time.”
There was applause on Thursday evening (November 25th, 2021) for the goals and the first signature in front of the camera. Many thousands more signatures are needed to achieve the goal: to get the city government to act faster. The collecting has started, in many places in the city people from the climate decision will address the people – this Saturday (November 27th, 2021) for example at the weekly market at the Konstablerwache from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., on Sunday (11/28/2021) from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. during a walk in the Fechenheim forest. Additional collectors are welcome. (Thomas Stillbauer)