Environmental policy: Frankfurt creates new climate department
Mith the beginning of the new year, the newly founded climate department of the city of Frankfurt will start its work. This was announced by Rosemarie Heilig, head of the climate and environment department. And at the same time informing the public that Hans-Georg Dannert, previously head of the Urban Climate and Climate Change department at the Environment Agency, will become head of the new agency. As far as possible, the department should bundle all tasks for protecting the climate and adapting to the changed climatic conditions. This applies to municipal buildings and properties and the city as a whole. This should include the new advice center decided by the city council as well as the expansion of support programs for citizens and companies. According to this, the Roman coalition decided this spring that Frankfurt should be climate-neutral by 2035. The city administration aims to achieve this goal as early as 2030.
To this end, the new department with its 22 employees is to develop concepts, projects and actions and, together with the city’s departments and companies, make the goal a reality. In addition, specialist plans, decision-making bases and funding guidelines are to be developed and implemented in the new department. The department should also be responsible for public relations and network coordination, the environmental department announced.
So far, Dannert’s team has been responsible for the “Frankfurt refreshes” funding program. The program can be used by certain people who want to green facades, roofs or sealed areas in backyards, for example. The city covers 50 percent of the costs, but no more than 50,000 euros. The program has existed since 2017 and is endowed with two million euros annually.