If the base doesn’t pull along, you won’t get very far. Politicians know that all too well. That is why the European Commission launched the Climate Pact in 2020. It is an EU-wide initiative that enables people, communities and organizations to get involved in climate action and building a greener Europe. Because with the Green Deal, the EU has big plans: by 2050, it wants to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero and be the first continent to become climate-neutral. In a first step, CO₂ emissions are to be reduced by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. All of this can only succeed if as many people as possible take part. The EU has therefore created the opportunity to get involved as a climate pact ambassador.
Annika Gehrmann and Michael Kusterer, a married couple from Neubiberg, are among the approximately 700 people in total and 60 in Germany who have decided to do so. Among other things, they carry the climate protection idea further in so-called “Peer Parliamants”, discussion groups at eye level. The next one is on February 24th.
Both are convinced that real change requires a higher level. “For me it was important that the EU has a very large lever to move something in the direction of climate neutrality,” says Gehrmann. She likes the idea of the climate pact ambassadors. “The more we manage to talk to people, the more will participate,” says the 48-year-old. Michael Kusterer also sees the EU as an important player because, in his view, there should be no competition between the countries if, for example, one country significantly increases the CO₂ tax and companies then move to another. The EU could regulate something like this via certificate trading, among other things.
Basically everyone can take part in the “Peer Parliament”.
So in order to pass on the climate protection idea and also to talk about the EU’s planned measures, the climate pact ambassadors can invite people to one and a half hour peer parliaments. The Neubibergers have already organized three such discussions on the topics of energy, mobility and consumption. Now put it back on again. February 24 at 7:30 p.m. will be about mobility, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. about consumption, both online. The number of participants is limited (registration: [email protected]). In principle, anyone can take part, before the discussion round you will receive information material on the respective topic. In the previous rounds, climate protectionists were just as committed as people who were critical of the planned changes, as Gehrmann explains. When it came to mobility, the question was, for example, under what circumstances would you be willing to leave your car behind for a short trip.
There were various answer options, for example if the cycle paths were expanded or if there were more charging stations. “It will be coordinated and we will report it back to the EU,” says Gehrmann. The results of the peer parliaments should feed into the conference on the future of Europe. The couple is quite satisfied with how the discussions have gone so far. “It was very exciting and constructive,” says the lawyer. Apparently no one was converted. A “change of perspective” and a “different openness” to the topic may have already occurred with one or the other, says Kusterer.
Certainly a small success for the two, who have been involved in climate protection for many years. The software developer organized demonstrations as early as the mid-1990s. He and his wife are active in “Parents for Future”, as well as in the Neubiberg initiative “Climate Neutral 2035”, which Gehrmann helped to found. “Of course, it’s also important to get involved at the local level and help communities become carbon neutral,” she says. In their private life, the couple and their two children are environmentally conscious. The family drives little by car and uses little electricity. According to Kusterer, the values are about half of the Germans on average. But if you use a CO₂ calculator, add a flat rate just for living in Germany.
“You can see that I can’t actually get to zero in Germany,” says the 52-year-old. You can see how important politics is. And that it’s about how society is organized, his wife adds. That is why the two will continue to campaign for climate protection at various levels in the future. According to Kusterer, a large demonstration with various organizations is being planned.