In terms of the protection of the environment celebrates the city of Zurich as a pioneer. Eleven years ago, she wrote an ambitious goal in the municipality of Constitution: by 2050, cities will consume gutters only 2000 watts, and a ton of CO2 to sequester per year.
Only, this intent appears to be outdated today. “The 2000-Watt goal not enough”, says Markus Kunz, head of the Faction of the Green. “The latest research results show that the urgency has increased,” says Simone Brander of the SP. “We do much too little to the envisaged limit of 1.5 degrees temperature increase to comply with,” says GLP group leader Isabel Garcia.
Therefore, wish to tighten up the SP, Green, GLP, AL and the EPP, the 2000-Watt target. New should stand in the local by-laws, that the people of Zurich will restrict your CO2 up to 2030 “net Zero”. Net Zero means that compensation measures, or the extraction of CO2 may be counted from the air.
From 8 to 0 tonnes of CO2
Today, the average emissions per Zurich at least eight tons of CO2 per year. From eight to zero tons in eleven years. An ambitious goal, since they all agree.
The Motion is the result of an unofficial “climate summit” to the left of the green Pareien, climate of politically active NGOs, as well as climate strike is met at the end pupils at the end of February. The “climate emergency”, such as the city of Basel and the Canton of Vaud did not wanted to declare the city of Zurich-based parties. “The us was too vague and populist,” says Simone Brander. So you decided to a joint Motion, the most powerful of all the parliamentary means. A majority of these loose. The five parties together control about two-thirds of the municipal Council.
On measures they have not agreed so far. This should now work out of the city Council and its specialists. “We know that this is not an easy task,” says Isabel Garcia. Apply the GLP-councillor Andreas Hauri, who is responsible for environmental policy.
behavior change
For the experts of environmental NGOs is clear: in Zurich you can do much more than it is today. “The technical possibilities have been developed in the last ten years,” says Georg Klingler, a climate specialist at Greenpeace. In addition, the Paris agreement created a basis in international law, to which Zurich can refer to.
ideas are not lacking. The city could help Finance the installation of ground source and air source heat pumps to replace as many Oil – and gas-heaters, says Markus Keller of the NGO fossil free.ch. The possibilities of solar technology are far from being exhausted. The basement would give the bike much broader way, the public transport improve and expand, as well as electric cars, in principle, prefer, by giving them more Parking, or bus lanes permitted to use. Important is the transition to products that can be recycled, and the promotion of a plant-based diet. to change
the individual behavior, it need “massive education campaigns, as it used to against Aids,” says Keller. Also the involvement of the population and the economy, helping to increase the “understanding of the urgency of the problem”. The discussion is also that the city should prohibit the promotion of climate-damaging products on your ad space.
As a large Problem in the basement called the banks. This set is still a year tens of billions in climate-damaging technologies. “The city would have to build up to the financial pressure to make it stop.” Georg Klingler, Greenpeace points out that the municipal pension Fund to invest “much too harmful to the climate”.
“Zurich is not a climate island.”Simone Brander (SP)
Marcel Hänggi is a co-founder of the glacier-Initiative. This calls the Same as Zurich’s Motion, a reduction to zero of CO2, just in the whole of Switzerland, up to the year 2050. Hänggi, that the city of Zurich had to go, especially in our own operations and in the company’s own construction as a model. Central was more to lay the foundations for a more environmentally friendly life style. “This is about a successful Copenhagen with his Veloinfrastruktur.” To this end, intelligent city planning, which allows short paths belong to.
According to Georg Klingler, Greenpeace, the city would have to stop the installation of new natural gas heaters immediately. The rest of the natural gas belong to be replaced by CO2-neutral Gas, with the aid of renewable electricity. “It would require major investment in solar cells on the roofs of the city.” Strong CO2-Skidding also in waste incineration plants. “For them it is necessary to reduce the size of the Input, and the remaining CO2 out of the air remove.”
Such technical solutions require a strong “funding’s sake,” says Klingler. Say: they cost a lot of money. “But in the long run will be worth such an expenditure.”
The city of Zurich shows an interest in the above-mentioned proposals. It is planned to have a Workshop between NGOs and the administration. In their projects, the city should work closely with the Canton and the Federal government, says Simone Brander (SP). “Zurich is not a climate island.”
As undisputed in the left green-center-Alliance is that the desired change will affect the lifestyle of the people of Zurich. A complete “More so” will not give it, says Isabel Garcia. With its 2000-Watt-strategy Zurich have picked the “low-hanging fruit,” says Markus Kunz, so those things are implemented that hurt anyone. “Now there goes a big step further. We need to see this as a sporting challenge.”
“Absolutely illusory”
Not in the mood for such Exercises to feel the FDP, and SVP. Michael Schmid, head of the Faction of the FDP, called the target of the Motion “absolutely illusory”. “If you take into account the renewal cycles of houses and cars, then 2030 is the day after tomorrow.” The FDP stand behind the 2000-Watt-project, and be ready to promote innovative approaches. “But under the unrealistic promises of the seriousness of the policy suffers.”
Roger Bartholdi, leader of the SVP, accuses the opposing side’s inconsistency. As an example, he takes a vote last Wednesday. Since the red-green majority in the municipal Council said Yes to a new sports centre in Oerlikon, including indoor swimming pool and a operated year-round skating rink. “Who wants to reduce the CO2-radical, must not be allowed to build an energy slingshot,” says Bartholdi. However, the left-Green-center-Alliance-avoiding decisions that are unpleasant for their voters. Instead, they make empty promises and a couple of Parking spaces.
Zurich is not alone
From the Motionären would bet none of the fact that the people of Zurich in eleven years, have reduced their CO2 consumption to net zero. “But, policy, shy away from ambitious goals,” says Isabel Garcia (GLP). The new destination in the local by-laws creating the legal basis for effective measures, says Markus Kunz (Green). Zurich is not alone, Paris, and New York have similar climate requirements.
At the end will decide the people. Its approval for Amendments to the municipal code. In 2008, Watt-aim the sound at the time, a little utopia, a 76.4 percent said the 2000 Yes.
(editing Tamedia)
Created: 02.04.2019, 21:06 PM
