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City's CO2 Emission Reductions Fall Short of Climate Neutrality Goals
A review of the city's CO2 emissions reveals a total reduction of 1.411 million tons from 2010 to 2020, averaging a yearly decrease of 141,100 tons. To meet the self-imposed target of climate neutrality by 2021, an additional 2.9 million tons of CO2 emissions reduction is required. At the current pace, this reduction goal will not be reached until 2040, criticizes Meret John of Students for Future (SFF).
Measures outlined in the 2025 Action Program for the city's climate protection concept are generally commendable, but they need to be expedited significantly, assert SFF members. For instance, by the end of 2023, only 5,000 solar installations have been installed on a total of 90,000 roofs, resulting in a utilization rate of 5.3 percent.
The proposed digital platform for climate control, recently announced by the city, is welcomed, but it should be comprehensive and easy to understand. Moreover, a priority rule for council decisions on climate neutrality measures is necessary to promote the necessary acceleration, emphasizes Sigrid Wolf, a spokesperson for the Alliance.
However, proposed investments in this area have been reduced in the 2024 budget plan, with environmental protection investments cut by 26 percent and climate neutrality measures reduced by 22 percent compared to 2020. With these investments accounting for only 2.7 percent of the city's total investments for climate neutrality and 8.5 percent for environmental protection, the quantum leap towards climate neutrality by 2035 would not be achieved, according to Uwe Foullong, ver.di spokesperson in the Düsseldorf Alliance.
To tackle this issue, the city's revenues need strengthening. Given that prosperous individuals contribute disproportionately more to climate change, as shown by an Oxfam study, it is fair and appropriate to reinstate the wealth tax and reform the inheritance tax to eliminate many exceptions for the very wealthy, says Father Wolfgang Sieffert of the Old Town Soup Kitchen and another alliance spokesperson.
Until an effective wealth and inheritance tax is in place, the city council should temporarily increase the trade tax. The ecological and social problems must not be prioritized over each other, especially if resources are not adequately reinvested, Meret John and Lydia Schmiedel of SFF emphasize.
When considering city-wide transformation to achieve climate neutrality in the near future, strategies such as immediate decarbonization of energy supply, building energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, waste management, community engagement, and green infrastructure should be prioritized, backed by technical and financial incentives and cross-sector collaboration.
- To accelerate the city's progress towards climate neutrality, Meret John of Students for Future suggests reinvesting resources in environmental-science and climate-change research, which could provide innovative solutions for improving CO2 emissions reduction.
- In light of the city's ambitious goal for climate neutrality, Father Wolfgang Sieffert, an alliance spokesperson, advocates for investing in personal-finance education and promoting investing in companies that prioritize sustainability, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and contributing to the fight against climate change.
- Recognizing the current budget constraints on climate neutrality measures, the city council could explore green bonds as a financing tool for environmental protection and renewable energy projects, providing an opportunity for citizens, businesses, and institutions to invest in the city's environmental future, as suggested by Sigrid Wolf, a spokesperson for the Alliance.
