Final report for Brandenburg climate plan presented

March 8, 2023 | Bernd Hirschl, from the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) and scientific director of the expert consortium, today handed over the final report on the Brandenburg Climate Plan to Axel Vogel, the state’s minister for climate protection. The RLI collaborated on the report for the sector transport and mobility. The report contains recommendations for a climate protection strategy for Brandenburg and proposed measures for the state’s climate plan.

“With the expert report, we are entering the final phase in the preparation of the climate plan,” said Vogel. “This technical basis will be used to define the measures for the climate plan by which we want to achieve climate neutrality in Brandenburg by 2045.”

With the climate plan measures, the state is to make its contribution to achieving the interim and sector targets for greenhouse gas savings in areas such as agriculture and forestry, energy and industry, transport and construction, which were approved by the cabinet in August 2022. “The report now provides the state government with a thick package of tasks for climate protection. With proposals for over 80 bundles of measures for all eight fields of action of the climate plan, the report shows very clearly where the important tasks for state policy lie on the path to climate neutrality,” Vogel says.

Scenarios for all sectors
“Our scenarios take into account all sectors and the relevant greenhouse gas emissions in context. The report also shows the great pressure for action, because Brandenburg is currently not yet on the path of climate neutrality. Important examples of our recommended measures include not only phasing out coal as quickly as possible, but also reversing the heat and transport systems, converting to a climate-neutral economy, strengthening forests and managing peatlands. What is important is consistent political implementation and control and also the provision of sufficient financial resources and personnel so that the state and its municipalities can play the urgently needed pioneering role.”

The Ministry for Climate Protection is now discussing measures for the climate plan with all the departments concerned. These are defining their climate-relevant individual strategies and measures for achieving the sector targets. The Energy Strategy 2040, for example, with its focus on expanding renewable energies, forms the basis for achieving a climate-neutral energy supply. Strengthening local public transport is to make an important contribution in the transport sector. In addition, the state administration will play a model role by setting concrete goals and taking measures to achieve a greenhouse gas-neutral administration.

The draft climate plan, including measures, will be submitted for consultation as part of an online participation process starting in June, before being introduced to the cabinet in the summer.

Background to the climate plan
In order to achieve the goal of climate neutrality in Brandenburg by 2045 at the latest, the state government is currently developing the climate plan under the leadership of the Climate Protection Ministry. In a national comparison, Brandenburg has adopted very ambitious interim targets for all sectors, including agriculture and forestry, transport and buildings, energy and the economy. In November 2021, the state government had defined seven sectors and eight fields of action for the climate plan. In August 2022, the cabinet adopted the central building block for the climate plan with ambitious interim and sector targets.

Under the leadership of IÖW, RLI researchers together with a team of expert consultants developed the scientific basis and comprehensive recommendations for a climate protection strategy as well as proposals for a program of measures in Brandenburg between May 2021 and February 2023. These were developed in a broad participation process with stakeholders and the suggestions collected in an online participation. The departments of the state government that were involved in the technical aspects of the report were closely involved in the development process.

Further information
To the complete press release of the Brandenburg Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Climate Protection (MLUK) (only in German)
Information on the climate plan and the report at MLUK (only in German)
RLI project website of the climate plan