Climate and Environment Round Table enters third year

The "Round Table Climate and Environment" Jena is entering its third season. Founded in the wake of the 2019 mass climate protests as an open, regular meeting, the Round Table has firmly established itself in the political landscape of Jena in the two years of its existence. The next date is 21.09., this will be explicitly designed as an introduction for new members. Getting a taste of what it's like to be a member is encouraged! Previous knowledge is not necessary.

The Round Table usually meets on the first and third Tuesday evening of the month.

Start: 19:00 o'clock, place: Christian High School Jena

"We were able to set important impulses, especially in the development of the measures of the sustainability strategy adopted in the spring of this year," says Georg Laube of the Round Table Climate and Environment, RTKU for short. The RTKU can exert its influence on the city council through the Climate Protection Advisory Council, to which it sends three voting members. The advisory board, in turn, has the right to introduce draft resolutions to the city council via the responsible committees - a unique structure that takes into account the existential importance of climate protection.

In this way, various draft resolutions have already been introduced on a wide range of topics from the common good economy to traffic-calmed inner cities. "Meeting the climate crisis with the highest priority, this has now been the resolution situation in Jena for two years. We see our task as constructively underpinning this beautiful and correct formulation with content and concrete options for action", explains Reinhard Guthke, member of the "Round Table Climate and Environment".

In the city council resolution "Jena climate neutral by 2035" it is stated that the development of the action plan for climate neutrality is carried out by a planning office with the participation of the climate protection advisory board. Reinhard Guthke explains: "We, as a group working with the advisory board, are pleased to be able to participate in this extremely committed and urgently needed task. The first ideas have been formulated, and there is still plenty of room for new ones!"

The Round Table meets twice a month for events that are open to all interested parties. A fixed component of the meetings is also the close exchange with the Jena city administration. "Municipal climate protection is a cross-sectional task. Politics, civil society and administration have to pull together. One of the Round Table's tasks is therefore also to improve communication between the climate protection actors and thus to bundle forces", emphasises Christian Gerlitz, Mayor of the City of Jena.

Communication between the Round Table and the city administration is one of many tasks of the Climate Protection Coordinator of the City of Jena, Kevin Muschalle-Momberg: "As the motor of Jena's civil society climate protection initiatives, the Round Table Climate and Environment can look back on many successes in municipal climate protection in its short existence. Together with the city administration, this is to be continued in the coming year."

More and more often, concerns are also brought forward by citizens and organizations. Katrin Lenk-Mimietz, member of the "Round Table Climate and Environment": "This is absolutely in our interest: We want to network ourselves, i.e. all people who are committed to an environmentally and climate-friendly way of life on site. In shared knowledge and common action we move much more than alone. We therefore cordially invite everyone who has a concern or wants to participate in constructive solutions to join us." Members of various committed groups such as environmental associations, food sharing or the For Future movement are already coming together at the RTKU.

Deviating dates, e.g. during holidays, as well as all other information can always be found on the homepage https://klima-tisch-jena.de .