10/12/2023

Climate protection in Baden-Württemberg - much shadow, little light

The Council of Climate Experts today presents its statement on the progress of climate protection in Baden-Württemberg, including an assessment of the state government's Climate Measures Register (KMR). The 0.4% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions achieved in 2022 compared to the previous year now represents a 21% reduction compared to 1990. The climate protection target anchored in the BW Climate Act for 2030 - a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to 1990 - thus requires a further reduction of 44 percentage points in the remaining seven years. This calls for completely new dimensions in emissions reduction, both in terms of the annual quantities required and the necessary momentum.

In the view of the Council of Climate Experts, the state must take urgent action here: To this end, Baden-Württemberg must make targeted use of the instruments at the federal and EU levels and reinforce them with powerful, effective measures of its own. With the goal of net greenhouse gas neutrality by 2040, the state parliament has set more ambitious goals than the federal government and the EU in the BW Climate Act in line with the necessities of climate protection. "Those who set more ambitious targets must also work harder to achieve them," said Maike Schmidt, chairwoman of the Council of Climate Experts.

Martin Pehnt, ifeu Managing Director and member of the Council of Experts, adds for the heating market: "After the long debates about the Building Energy Act at the federal level, it is now a matter of giving municipalities and building owners orientation and supporting them financially and in terms of infrastructure ". On the one hand, the regulatory prerequisites must be created for this: The KlimaG BW and the Renewable Heat Act must be adapted to the new federal requirements. "But this also includes new financing and service models for a socially acceptable heat transition, instruments for a rapid expansion of climate-friendly heating networks, a savings campaign, but also measures to accelerate approval and renovation processes," adds Dr. Martin Pehnt.

You can access the statement / press release of 13.10.2023
via the website of the Climate Expert Council