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Berlin – The traffic light coalition has launched the first government strategy for the long-term adaptation of the Federal Republic to the consequences of climate change. Today in Berlin, Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) presented the draft jointly developed by the federal ministries, which is intended to set “for the first time verifiable and measurable goals” for measures to prepare for changing climate conditions.

“It is a joint project of the federal government,” emphasized Lemke. All ministries contributed suggestions to the strategy for their areas of responsibility and “shared responsibility” here. The minister said she hopes for a cabinet decision this year.

The template formulates 34 goals, most of which are to be achieved by 2030; for some, implementation is expected to take until 2050. They concern measures such as infrastructure, land use, health protection, water handling and urban development, spatial planning and civil protection.

The climate adaptation strategy pursues a different goal than the climate protection law that is already in force. This sets binding targets for reducing emissions of the climate-damaging gas CO₂ in order to slow down global warming. The climate adaptation strategy, on the other hand, aims to prepare the country for the effects of global warming that is already occurring.

“We want to take precautions with this strategy,” said Minister Lemke. The draft strategy includes a whole package of measures: protecting people during heat waves, more green spaces in cities, better alarm systems for severe weather events, adapting agriculture and forestry to climate change, better protecting roads and railways against weather-related damage, and others.

“The current flood disaster on the Elbe and Oder makes it clear to us once again that we are confronted with the consequences of the climate crisis – right here in Germany,” said Lemke. “We have to prepare for such events in quick succession.”

The new strategy “contributes to maintaining equivalent living conditions and increasing the resilience and resistance of ecological systems, the economy and society to climate change,” explained the Federal Environment Ministry.

Lemke admitted that measuring implementation will not be easy. While the implementation of the Climate Protection Act is based on the annually calculated CO₂emissions can be measured, the climate adaptation strategist does not have such a single indicator. Goal achievement should be measured by a monitoring system whose indicators are tailored to each individual area.

The legal basis for the strategy is the Climate Adaptation Act, which has been in force since July 1st. The law obliges the federal, state and local governments to address the consequences of climate change across the board and to identify adaptation measures. With the strategy presented by Lemke, the federal government now wants to fulfill this obligation. © afp/aerzteblatt.de