TO GUARD THE EARTH AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING GASES

Climate protection

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time. A commitment to climate protection is essential to effectively counteract climate change.

The contribution of Baden-Württemberg to worldwide greenhouse gas emissions is approximately 0.2 per cent (2017). Compared to Baden-Württemberg's share of the world's population our region has an above-average contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The regional government of Baden-Württemberg sees in this a particular responsibility to act, and therefore has set specific goals for the reduction of greenhouse gases in a Climate Act.

Overview of the Baden-Württemberg Climate Act 2023

The state parliament of Baden-Württemberg passed the Baden-Württemberg Climate Protection and Climate Change Adaptation Act (Climate Act) on 1 February 2023. This law, which entered into force on 11 February 2023, is a further development of the Baden-Württemberg Climate Protection Act of 2013 – amended in 2020 and 2021.

The further development of this law underlines the fact that with progressive climate change, ambitious measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must be supplemented more strongly than before by measures to adapt to the unavoidable consequences of climate change ("climate change adaptation").

With this law, the state complies with the requirements of the Federal Constitutional Court, which states that the national objective of environmental protection in the Basic Law obliges not only the federal government but also the states to protect the climate and that "the federal government's climate protection goals cannot be achieved without implementation measures and legislation in the states". According to the court, in addition to climate protection, climate change adaptation must be ensured.

The core elements of the Climate Act are the climate protection targets for the years 2030 and 2040. These set the direction for Baden-Württemberg's climate policy. The 2030 target has now also been made manageable for specific sectors, such as energy, industry, or transport by means of "sectoral targets". I.e., specific greenhouse gas emission reduction targets were allocated to each sector. In order to achieve these goals, the "Climate Action Registry" has been developed as an instrument, in which all measures adopted by the state government to protect the climate are made available in a standardised and continuously updated way.

The state government regularly monitors the progress in achieving the climate protection goals. If it becomes apparent that these will not be reached, the state government decides on additional measures.

In addition to the general climate targets mentioned above, the Climate Act also stipulates specific measures. These include, in particular, municipal heat planning and the obligation to install photovoltaic systems on newly constructed buildings and with fundamental roof renovations.

Climate protection requires the support and participation of all. The law therefore imposes a general obligation on all citizens to protect the climate, as well as particular rules on the state of Baden-Württemberg, the municipalities, and businesses.

The most important contents of the Climate Act at a glance: