Hamburg wants to be climate neutral by 2040: Senate calls for joint action!

Hamburg wants to be climate neutral by 2040: Senate calls for joint action!

Last Sunday, the citizens of Hamburg sent a strong signal for climate protection. With a majority of 53.2 percent, the referendum was in favor of the “Hamburg Decision for the Future”. The Senate is now calling on all actors to use this new momentum together to achieve the climate goals that have been set. Loud NDR The goal is now to bring forward climate neutrality from 2045 to 2040.

First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) emphasized the need to take concrete measures to win the support of society as a whole. While the initiative for early climate neutrality was widely supported, Tschentscher noted that in some outer districts "no" votes predominated, while the central districts voted in favor of the proposal. Voting turnout was 43.6 percent, and around 1.3 million eligible voters had the opportunity to vote.

Changes to the climate law

In the course of the referendum, the Senate announced a rapid change to the Hamburg Climate Protection Act. The unchanged goal continues to be to reduce CO2 emissions by 70 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 the Hamburg Senate Chancellery reported. From 2026 onwards, legal maximum levels for CO2 emissions will also apply, which will clearly define the reduction path to climate neutrality.

The Senate must now develop an updated Hamburg climate plan, which contains a breakdown of emissions across various sectors such as private households, businesses, industry and transport. These measures are necessary to implement the legal requirements and enable the drastic changes in climate policy, which are also a prerequisite at the federal level.

Federal level and other challenges

However, the implementation of Hamburg's climate goals does not only depend on local action. Federal policy will also be crucial. According to Tschentscher, rapid decarbonization requires an increase in the share of renewable energies in the federal electricity mix to 80 percent as well as framework conditions for the hydrogen economy. In addition, electromobility must be further promoted.

Dem Federal Environment Agency According to the Federal Government, the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. This is directly linked to Hamburg's ambitions and the newly defined goals.

The political actors agree: only with broad social support and targeted measures in all areas can Hamburg achieve its climate goals and make a valuable contribution to international climate protection. The coming months will be crucial to successfully embark on the new course.