in Berlin, a referendum on carbon neutrality to “turbocharge” renewable energies

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The voters of the capital must say this Sunday if they want the municipality to set itself the objective of achieving the balance between emission and absorption of CO2 by 2030. A vote of popular initiative.

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One of the polling stations where the local initiative referendum on carbon neutrality is held, in Berlin (Germany), Sunday March 26, 2023. (JORG CARSTENSEN / DPA)

For several months, green panels four meters high by three wide have been calling on voters from all over Berlin to vote “Ja” (“Yes”) during the popular initiative referendum organized on Sunday March 26. More than 2.4 million voters in the German capital have to say whether or not they want their city to set the goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.

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Félix, member of the organizing committee, takes part in all the demonstrations for the climate, galvanized by political inaction: “They hear about the climate emergency, but they don’t do enough about it. We we believe there’s still time, but we have to put the turbo on, go much, much faster than now. Otherwise it will be too late.”

Achieving the balance between CO2 emissions and their absorption into the atmosphere within seven years: this is the enormous challenge in this city of more than 3.5 million inhabitants which today functions at 95% thanks to to fossil fuels. Berlin cannot make the same commitment as Paris, Rome or Oslo, it is “An illusion”, believes Kaja Klapsa of the liberal newspaper Die Welt.

“Almost all combustion engine cars should disappear from the city within 6 and a half years and all buildings should be renovated in terms of energy when we are short of arms in this country.”

Kaja Klapsa, journalist at Die Welt newspaper

at franceinfo

Even the green party Die Grünen is skeptical of the proposed cost of tens of billions of euros in a city already over-indebted. At the national level, the ambition is less: Germany is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2045. This vote of popular initiative has a particularity: for the “yes” to win, it is enough that a quarter of the voters fall into this camp.


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