Jena to become climate-neutral by 2035
The city of Jena is to become climate-neutral by 2035. This was decided by a large majority of the city council at its meeting on July 14, 2021. The city of Jena has thus backed the goals of the Climate Decision Jena citizens' initiative. The initiative had already started collecting signatures for the citizens' petition and will now stop the collection.
Climate action plan sets out concrete measures
In order to achieve climate neutrality by 2035, a climate action plan is to be drawn up within a year. In addition to the current scenario without climate policy measures (trend scenario), this should also include a climate neutrality scenario with the necessary measures, the implementation of which will lead Jena to climate neutrality by 2035.
The city of Jena is aware of the effects of the climate crisis and regularly adjusts its climate protection targets. The City of Jena's "Energy and Climate Protection Mission Statements" always take into account the political framework and new findings from climate research, which are also incorporated into the Climate Action Plan.
All pulling in the same direction
Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche says: "The city of Jena will make its contribution to overcoming the climate crisis so that we can guarantee a future worth living for all of Jena's citizens. The transformation to a climate-neutral city will challenge the entire urban society. The good thing is that in Jena we have all the necessary expertise and important innovation clusters in science, business and a committed society to pull together and provide important impetus for continuous further development."
The climate action plan will therefore also be presented and discussed in an open format of citizen participation. The action plan will then be submitted to the city council for approval. The Advisory Board for Climate Protection and Sustainable Development will be involved in the process of developing and implementing the measures in the Climate Action Plan.
Successful climate and environmental protection in the city of Jena will be continued
Climate Protection Coordinator Kevin Muschalle-Momberg says: "Achieving climate neutrality is of course no easy undertaking. However, we are not starting from scratch when it comes to climate protection in Jena. The existing climate protection guidelines and action plans form a good basis for successfully shaping the path to climate neutrality."
The city of Jena has been committed to effective climate protection at municipal level for many years. Since 2007, climate protection targets have been set in various sectors with the energy and climate protection mission statements. The so-called "energy policy work programs" served as packages of measures until 2017 to achieve the climate protection targets. The successfully implemented climate protection measures include
- the commissioning of the ground-mounted photovoltaic system on the former Ilmnitz landfill site
- the energy optimization of the Jena-Zwätzen wastewater treatment plant to make it energy self-sufficient
Jena's current climate protection targets are set out in the "Energy and Climate Protection Mission Statement for the City of Jena 2021-2030". They are to be implemented with the help of the city's sustainability strategy, which comprises 174 measures. Exemplary measures:
- the flow temperature in the district heating network will be lowered
- the photovoltaic system on the Jena public transport yard is being expanded
However, only the annual greenhouse gases emitted by the city of Jena count towards curbing the climate crisis. In the period from 2005 to 2019, these were reduced by around 31%. Compared to the reference year 1990, a reduction of almost 71% has already taken place.
Mayor Christian Gerlitz said: "We, Jena, can be proud of this reduction. The further reduction of greenhouse gas emissions towards climate neutrality requires further enormous efforts. This is where the Climate Action Plan comes in and shows how the path to climate neutrality must be shaped. Climate neutrality by 2035 requires additional human and financial resources. And these need to be discussed in the overall context of all tasks and expenditure."
Klimaentscheidinitiativecontinues to campaign for a climate-friendly Jena
The Klimaentscheid Jena initiative is delighted with the city council's progressive decision and the city administration's willingness to wholeheartedly support the ambitious demands of the citizens' petition:
"Apparently, the message sent by the climate justice movement in recent years has now also reached the decision-makers: That we must move forward and act now if we do not want to continue to contribute to the destruction of the foundations of life on earth," says Robert Pauli from Klimaentscheid.
However, it will only become clear in the coming years whether the actual implementation of climate neutrality by 2035 will be pursued with the same level of commitment as the broad majority who have now committed to this goal during election campaigns. Hannes Scheffel from Klimaentscheid Jena comments:
"The Climate Action Plan will show exactly what is needed to meet the 1.5° target calculated for Jena. And we - Climate Decision as well as the entire movement - can now measure the upcoming political decisions against this. If necessary, we will remind people of the decision that has now been taken."
City must activate its own areas for ecological power generation
Some steps are already foreseeable. For example, the city must do much more in the coming years to use solar energy on its own land and, together with the surrounding area, to use wind energy and energy storage. The climate decision also suggests examining whether decisions that have already been made or are planned, such as the cost-intensive expansion of infrastructure for motorized private transport, which have a negative impact on the city's carbon footprint, can still be reconciled with the now more stringent targets.
The Klimaentscheid initiative has now stopped collecting signatures for the citizens' petition as a result of the equivalent city council resolution. At the same time, however, it has announced that it will continue its commitment to a climate-friendly Jena.