In Berlin, the referendum failed to collect the required number of votes for accelerating climate neutrality until 2030, according to German media.
As part of the poll, Berliners were deciding whether Berlin should become climate neutral by 2030 instead of 2045. The current law sets a deadline of 2045 for reaching the goal of climate neutrality, which is also Germany’s national goal.
According to the organizers, the majority of citizens who took part in the plebiscite, which is 50.9%, supported the accelerated achievement of climate neutrality. However, it was not possible to approve the initiative, since only regarding 440 thousand voters voted for it, while regarding 608 thousand votes were needed to approve the decision.
At the same time, 48.7% of Berliners who took part in the referendum opposed the tougher climate goal. In general, the turnout was 35.8% of the total number of residents with the right to vote.
The current government of Berlin believes that the initiative to become climate neutral by 2030 is not feasible. According to Mayor Franziska Ghiffey, the majority of Berliners see that the demands of the referendum cannot be implemented, as shown by the voting results.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which won elections to the state parliament in February, also criticized demands for tougher deadlines.
The referendum was initiated by organizations and movements such as Fridays for Future, the All-German Cycling Club (ADFC), SPD youth organizations and the Alliance 90/Greens parties. In 2022, they managed to collect the necessary number of signatures to hold a referendum.
Climate neutrality means that greenhouse gas emissions do not exceed those absorbed by nature. To achieve this, climate-damaging emissions from, for example, cars, aircraft, heating systems, power plants or industrial plants must be reduced by regarding 95% compared to 1990.
