Ecology: The Green New Deal from Below

The economy: a social-ecological industrial policy

Our goal is a real Green New Deal. Through massive investment in the social-ecological transformation, we want to create secure, well-paid jobs, climate neutrality by 2030 at the latest while keeping within the available remaining-emissions budget, and significantly improved public services. Nevertheless, the Green New Deal is not a programme for endless growth as an end in itself. We do not measure our success by indicators such as gross domestic product, but focus on what really matters: ecology, health, shared prosperity and self-determination.

To manage the social-ecological transformation, we propose that the Federal Republic actively engage in industries and areas that are of strategic importance for the Green New Deal, for example through tax incentives, subsidies, purchase guarantees, favourable credit conditions, direct investment in companies, the building of state-owned enterprises, support for cooperatives and socialisations. Depending on the sector, situation and goal, we want to choose a suitable tool. Especially in the areas of health and nutrition, housing, transport, energy, digitalisation, recycling and agriculture, the state should intervene much more strongly than before, so that the social-ecological transformation can succeed.

Beyond that, we want, wherever possible, to strengthen localisation and European sovereignty. “Made in Europe”, or regional value chains, reduce the danger of global supply shocks and shortages, secure prosperity and increase control over labour and environmental conditions in production. We reject global supply chains that serve merely to maximise profit but are otherwise unnecessary.

Green New Deal bonds instead of unproductive speculation

For years, the ECB has been flooding the market with money to encourage investment, so far with little success. Instead, a lot of money flows into speculation with financial products or real estate. We want to redirect speculative capital into productive investment by instructing the state development bank KfW to issue Green New Deal bonds (green bonds). The capital raised should be lent on very favourable terms to companies and municipalities that are willing to drive forward the social-ecological transformation. Furthermore, innovative startups whose offering improves the climate and ecological balance should be supported with venture capital. The Federal Republic should guarantee the bonds.

Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in the ecological transformation

We want to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the ecological transformation by providing, without bureaucracy, credit of up to 100,000 euros per company per year, with which investments in energy efficiency and sufficiency as well as environmental protection can be made. We additionally want to support companies that operate in a climate-neutral way through tax relief.

Fully decarbonising German industry by 2030

We want to fully decarbonise CO2-intensive German industry, that is, for example, iron and steel production, refineries, cement works and the chemical industry, wherever technically possible, by means of a cut-off-date rule. The costs of converting the plants should be covered 75 per cent by the federal government, and the KfW and the Landesbanken should also offer favourable decarbonisation loans. We want to fund demonstration and pilot plants that apply state-of-the-art climate-neutral production processes and aim at the consistent building of a circular economy, with up to 100 per cent of the costs. We want to prohibit the continued operation of plants that are not fully decarbonised after 2030 despite technical feasibility.

Building the circular and regenerative economy

To reduce the destruction of ecosystems and the over-exploitation of nature, we are committed to building a circular and regenerative economy. We want to exempt small and medium-sized firms that specialise in recycling and upcycling from corporate tax for five years. Furthermore, we want to extend the lifespan of products through a comprehensive right to repair and an extended warranty.

Building European chip production in state hands

The social-ecological transformation must also be a digital one. To secure the rising demand for integrated circuits permanently and to reduce international dependencies, we are committed to the massive building of chip production in Europe. Here we favour building a company in state hands, in order to be able to compete with international rivals and to catch up on technological leads, comparable, for example, to Toyota, which was supported by the Japanese state for decades.

Expanding hydrogen production

We support the production of green hydrogen for applications for which there is no other possibility of decarbonisation, that is, in the steel, chemical and cement industries, in air, ship and heavy-goods transport, and for storage. Since the production of green hydrogen entails considerable energy losses, it is not a solution for the transport and heating transitions. For the rapid expansion of production capacity, we want to revise the national hydrogen strategy. With long-term subsidies and incentives, we want to create a stable framework for the domestic market ramp-up at industrial scale. We want to repurpose the existing gas infrastructure for the transport of hydrogen and, where necessary, expand it. The core of national hydrogen production must be the domestic expansion of renewable energies. We reject the import of hydrogen produced on the basis of fossil fuels (so-called blue and turquoise hydrogen), as well as the import of green hydrogen from countries of the Global South, as long as these cannot cover their own needs on the basis of renewable energies.

An ecological research drive

We want to generously support universities and companies in researching new technologies, materials and processes that reduce CO2 emissions or protect ecosystems, or place less of a burden on them. The results of the research must not be patented, but should be made available worldwide under a public-domain licence.

Unbureaucratic and digital support programmes

Support programmes intended to accelerate the social-ecological transformation of the economy must be quick to apply for, draw on and manage, without bureaucracy and digitally. To guarantee this, we want to set up a task force for “agile support programmes” in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, which mediates between institutions and responsibilities, finds pragmatic solutions together with companies, and continually improves processes.

Energy: sustainable and secure supply for people and the economy

We are committed to a socially just energy transition by 2030. A sustainable, secure energy supply for people and the economy is an important foundation of a liveable future for everyone.

The principle of climate justice guides our action here. The energy supply must be ensured without destroying the environment or the foundations of life of people in Germany and abroad. We therefore want to tie the allocation of public funds to criteria of climate justice.

Regional energy suppliers, municipal utilities and local infrastructure in citizens’ hands

We want to place both the regional energy suppliers and municipal utilities and the local infrastructure in the areas of electricity, gas and heat fundamentally in citizens’ hands. People should decide locally for themselves which energy sources are used. Profits from the production of electricity and heat should flow back to citizens. The acceptance of every form of regional energy generation would increase enormously in this way.

Extensive use of waste heat in local and district heating networks

Local and district heating networks are a very efficient way of supplying households and industry collectively with energy for heating and hot water. Here we want to combine different sources, such as the residual heat from industrial processes, but also larger natural sources, such as geothermal heat from deeper layers. The use of these networks should be given priority and supported, and the energy sources should also be made climate-neutral.

Quickly converting state buildings and infrastructure to climate neutrality

The public sector should lead by example in implementing climate-protection measures. We therefore want to immediately initiate the necessary investments to make both state buildings and infrastructure climate-neutral. In this way, construction companies, planners and authorities can quickly gather valuable practical experience with the climate refurbishment of buildings.

A right to self-supply with renewable energy

We call for the introduction of a fundamental right to self-supply with renewable energy. For both homeowners and tenants, the options are currently heavily restricted. We want to cut the bureaucracy in approval procedures and to promote local models that generate electricity where it is consumed.

Photovoltaics and storage technology made in Germany

After Germany long had its own production capacity, large parts of photovoltaic and storage technology now come from outside Europe. To reach the climate goals, we want to massively expand research and production capacity in Germany again. To this end, the Federal Republic should guarantee the purchase of part of the products produced (for example in combination with an obligation to install photovoltaics on new buildings) and so create investment security.

Expanding a European, smart electricity grid

The European electricity grid is the basis for a long-term secure supply in Germany. With the expansion of renewable energies, the fluctuations in production must be balanced out in a large-scale and intelligently operated grid. The further expansion of connections to our neighbouring countries and beyond is an important step. These connections between states also strengthen our cooperation in other areas and thus serve European understanding and unification.

Climate-neutral energy supply for households

Providing a climate-neutral heat supply for our houses and flats is a significant goal for people in Germany, which we support with all our strength. We want to promote efficient technologies and support the reduction of energy consumption through refurbishment and insulation. The supply to households should be ensured through electricity from renewable energies, climate-neutral local and district heating, solar and geothermal heat, and biomass arising in agriculture.

Tying support to sufficiency criteria

We want to continue supporting energy efficiency (carrying out processes with as little energy as possible). However, the existing programmes lack sufficiency as a decisive factor, so that the question is not only how to make a process efficient, but also whether the process makes sense overall. We are committed to orienting support towards a massive reduction in resource consumption in sensible places.

Water supply as a public good

The supply of water, as the most important foodstuff, as a basis for life at all, must under no circumstances be subjected to private-sector purposes. Water resources must, as a rule, remain in public hands. We want to bring already privatised water resources back into municipal ownership. The decision over distribution should lie with the citizens of the region. We are therefore committed to local water rights being negotiated in citizens’ assemblies.

A progressive electricity tax instead of the EEG levy

The EEG levy (the renewable-energy surcharge) places a heavy burden on households with average consumption. We want to abolish it and replace it with a progressive electricity tax. Every household and company should have a tax-free electricity budget. We want to tax above-average consumption, in order to provide incentives for electricity-saving behaviour.

Using targeted feed-in tariffs

To quickly drive forward the expansion of renewable energies, we want to introduce a state feed-in tariff and use it in a targeted way where economic operation would otherwise not yet be possible, or where expansion is progressing too slowly.

Stopping subsidies for fossil fuels

Every year, the federal government grants climate-damaging subsidies in the fossil-energy sector amounting to billions, and partly conceals them. According to an analysis by the Forum on Ecological and Social Market Economy, the total of these subsidies amounts to 17 billion euros. To keep within the climate goals, we want to immediately disclose and fully stop the subsidy of fossil fuels.

Stopping the climate crisis through a radical reduction in CO2 emissions

We need a rapidly rising CO2 tax for industry, in order to stop the climate crisis and to meet Germany’s international obligations under the Paris climate agreement. The level and the rise of the tax will be designed so that climate neutrality of industry in Germany is reached by 2030.

For the private sphere, the CO2 tax is unsuitable until alternatives in the areas of housing and mobility are available for everyone. To implement the rapid switch of basic private areas of life to climate-neutral technologies by 2030, we want to massively promote the conversion of building energy supply and mobility with state funds.

Mobility: free mobility and secure provision for all

Mobility is a basic right. That is why we want to ensure free and safe mobility for all, without destroying the foundations of our life in the process. We therefore rely on environmentally friendly means of transport and infrastructure, which we use collectively and efficiently.

Affordable, environmentally friendly, supra-regional mobility for people throughout Germany

We want to make mobility provision and infrastructure fair for everyone. Instead of the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan, we want to draw up a nationwide, cross-modal plan that incorporates the greenhouse-gas reduction targets of the Paris climate agreement.

Rail as the first option for long-distance travel

Rail must become the backbone of cross-modal mobility in Germany and the first option for long-distance travel. To this end, we want to expand the rail network, including by reactivating disused lines and through expansion in automation and electrification. Furthermore, we want to make the service cheaper by, as a first step, ending the profit orientation of the railway and, as a second step, bringing it into common ownership. We want to better integrate regional transport associations and local public transport into the railway’s services.

Expanding European long-distance travel (including night trains)

For European long-distance travel, there must be a better, sustainable offering. We are therefore committed to expanding the European rail network and cross-border connections in cooperation with neighbouring states. More cities must be connected to European long-distance transport. For travel over long distances, we want to significantly expand the offering of night trains.

Good bus connections and sharing services

Complementing rail transport, there must be reliable supra-regional mobility services for everyone. For this, we want to significantly expand bus connections and sharing services. The latter in particular, and thus a better occupancy of cars with passengers, can ensure the reduction of traffic jams on our roads and a smooth flow of traffic. We want to coordinate timetables across federal states. Our goal is an effective, collective use of the existing resources in means of transport and infrastructure. Especially in rural areas, we want to promote flexible and low-barrier mobility services, in order to make mobile those people who have no (regular) access to a car.

Building a modern cycling infrastructure

To make cycling more attractive, we want to expand the cycling infrastructure. To this end, as in the Netherlands, we want to preferentially expand existing paths, in order to minimise land sealing and resource consumption. Furthermore, we want to financially support municipalities in expanding municipal bike rental and bike subscriptions, parking facilities, improved signposting, the provision of (digital) cycle-route maps and the provision of other bicycle-related services.

To promote commuting and environmentally compatible tourism, we want to expand supra-regional cycle highways, especially within the EuroVelo network.

Subsidies for modern bicycles

Germany should become a country of cyclists. That is why we want to generously subsidise the purchase, production and the improving and repairing of bicycles and cargo bikes in Germany. Everyone in Germany should have access to an affordable, comfortable and modern bicycle.

Taxing kerosene to reduce climate emissions in air travel and to lessen noise pollution around airports

We are committed to taxing kerosene, in order to finally reduce harmful emissions in air travel effectively. Less air traffic also means that noise pollution around airports decreases, and brings an increase in quality of life for the people who live there. As long as there is no international taxation yet, for example through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), we want to conclude bilateral taxation agreements. In the EU, we want to push for the extension of emissions trading to the emissions of flights departing in the EU.

Orienting private transport towards climate neutrality

In the context of climate change and the ecological crisis, it is no longer in keeping with the times to build new roads for car traffic and to massively expand existing ones. The expansion of access roads often has fatal effects for cities, which then have to deal with even more traffic. We want to guarantee everyone’s mobility without building new roads. As in Wales, we want to freeze all new road-building projects, in order to bring transport policy into line with the climate goals.

On motorways heavily affected by commuter traffic, we want to reserve a lane for buses and car-sharing. In some regions outside larger French cities, such as Lyon or Grenoble, extra lanes for car-sharing are already a reality, as are digital car-sharing stations, ride-sharing apps and direct subsidies for drivers who offer ride-sharing.

A fair allocation of public space for mobility

Public space is limited and must be allocated fairly, oriented towards people’s needs. At the moment, the car often has priority over other means of transport. We want to give pedestrians and cyclists considerably more space. We want to make footpaths more attractive and give them a minimum width on which two wheelchairs or prams can pass each other. Furthermore, we want to further increase the accessibility of footpaths and to set up more opportunities to cross the road.

We want to prevent further land sealing. We need the building of parks instead of the building of car parks, in order to improve the quality of life of those using the transport system, with a more pleasant local climate.

Harmonising traffic rules in Europe

To ensure a better flow of traffic, prevent accidents and reduce harmful emissions, we are committed to harmonising traffic rules in Europe. We support the introduction of a speed limit on motorways, modelled on our neighbouring countries. On other roads, too, we want to adjust the speed limits, in order to put people, and not the car, at the centre of transport planning. This also applies to cities. As in Paris, we want to introduce 30 km/h zones as a rule in cities.

A mobility allowance instead of climate-damaging subsidies

We want to orient subsidies towards climate protection and social justice. Wealthy households still benefit disproportionately from the commuter allowance, company-car taxation and purchase premiums. We want to replace all these instruments with a mobility allowance for everyone, that is, a voucher that can be used for buying bicycles, bicycle repairs, train tickets, vouchers for car-sharing or other mobility services.

Expanding the charging infrastructure

We want to significantly expand the charging infrastructure for electric cars. Charging facilities must be provided at all publicly accessible car parks, so that electric cars and other vehicles become more usable.

Supporting the development of alternative energy sources

We want to promote the development of climate-neutral energy sources, for example electric propulsion, as well as the development of climate-neutral, electricity-based fuels (power-to-liquid). We want to abolish support for so-called bridging technologies such as “natural” gas.

Developing bus stations and railway stations into mobility hubs

We want to develop bus stations and railway stations into easily reachable, accessible mobility hubs that bundle different sharing services such as ride-sharing, bike-sharing and car-sharing. Especially in rural areas and outside cities, we are committed to the convenient connection of cycle paths to train and bus services, similar to the mobility hubs in Groningen and Drenthe in the Netherlands.

Municipal sharing services

To prevent digital monopolies or the nudging of users towards less sustainable mobility services (for example taxis or scooters instead of walking), we want to support municipalities in building up municipal sharing services.

A national strategy for rural mobility provision

To create a perspective for people in rural areas who do not own a car, cannot drive or want to give up their car, we are committed to drawing up a national strategy for a safe, sustainable mobility provision in the countryside, as well as to providing the necessary funds for implementation to municipalities and federal states.

Using urban and rural planning against urban sprawl

To counteract the car-centred infrastructure development of the last 60 years, and thus car dependence, we are committed to traffic-reducing and compact urban and spatial planning. This includes preventing the designation of new building areas in peripheral locations, as well as incentives to move into existing houses.

A right to work from home

To reduce traffic and to upgrade rural areas, we want to enable more people to freely choose their place of work. To this end, we want to introduce a right to work from home for all occupational groups in which working from home is possible.

Safe and sustainable logistics for supplying the population: prioritising regional supply networks and reducing long-distance transport

Regional supply networks, such as farms with farm shops and the local production of important goods, reduce long-distance transport and dependence on global supply chains. We therefore want to require and support districts and municipalities to draw up, together with all local actors, a concept for building a regional supply and circular economy.

Electrifying and reducing heavy-goods transport

We want to electrify heavy-goods transport. To this end, we want to test overhead lines on motorways extensively. If the tests are successful and the electrification of heavy goods transport on roads proves ecologically sensible, we want to commit to building 500 km of overhead lines per year. In addition, for electrified heavy-goods transport, we also want to examine the possibility of allowing larger vehicles with more axles, in order to spare roads and use energy more efficiently.

Furthermore, we want to test electricity-based fuels, produced with renewable energies, for use in heavy-goods transport. Our goal is the full decarbonisation of heavy-goods transport by 2030 at the latest, the reduction of empty runs (for example with the help of digital logistics platforms), the shortening of delivery routes and regional (circular) economic activity, in order to reduce the volume of logistics traffic.

Building: ecological, social, inclusive and creative

The construction sector is one of the most resource-intensive sectors of the economy worldwide and must make a substantial contribution to keeping to the Paris climate agreement. Our goal is a climate-neutral building stock by 2030.

The building and operation of buildings is responsible in Germany for around 40% of CO2 emissions and for 55% of waste generation. 90% of the mineral raw materials used in Germany are used each year to produce building materials and products. At the same time, the average household size is decreasing and new flats are on average becoming larger. In rural regions, younger people move away and older people often remain in large houses with inflexible floor plans. This leads to a constantly rising demand for housing. To reverse these trends, we want to consider the long-term use of buildings as early as the planning stage.

To reach the climate goals, we want to refurbish and convert the building stock on a large scale: ecologically, socially, in a way that fosters community, inclusively and creatively, with new building forms and innovative, recyclable materials. To this end, we want to take our cue from successful examples, such as the use of recycled concrete in Switzerland or the use of wood, including for high-rise buildings, as in the Prinz-Eugen-Park in Munich.

Our goal is a building transition that enables sustainable and social living and working for everyone. This is only possible with far-reaching political requirements that drive forward the emergence of a new, alternative building industry with well-paid and meaningful jobs and training places.

Efficient and ecological building

Resources such as sand are scarce worldwide and must therefore be used sparingly. After coal, oil and gas, cement production is the fourth-largest CO2 driver. The production of cement is responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions. We therefore want to promote building methods such as lightweight construction, which use materials and resources much more efficiently.

Materials should only be allowed to be used where they make sense because of their properties. They must be biodegradable or reusable, so that no waste arises after the use of the buildings. With our proposed CO2 tax on environmentally harmful materials and a primary-building-materials tax, we want to promote the use of secondary building materials and the use of ecological alternatives such as clay, straw and hemp.

A minimum energy standard for new buildings

To reduce the energy demand of new buildings, we need better energy standards. The Buildings Energy Act (GEG) and KfW funding address only the use phase when it comes to energy consumption: the emissions, and thus the energy consumption from production (grey energy), remain unconsidered, even though they make up around 50% of energy consumption over the life cycle of a new build. We want to introduce a minimum energy standard for new buildings that also includes the energy of production, in order to meet the requirements of a climate-neutral building stock.

Climate-neutral conversion instead of new construction

We want to prioritise the conversion and the adding of storeys to buildings over new construction. Such prioritisation reduces resource consumption, leads to less land sealing, prevents vacancy and avoids demolition. To this end, we want to launch a nationwide buy-back and refurbishment programme, in order to enable gross-rent-neutral conversions.

Orienting building towards durability and recycling

New buildings must be planned consistently over their entire life cycle, in the sense of a circular economy. To this end, we want to introduce a mandatory CO2 and ecological assessment of all use phases. To orient buildings towards durability, the needs of all generations should have to be taken into account in building planning. We are also committed to ensuring that the recycling of a building must already be taken into account and priced in during building planning.

Climate-resilient buildings

To mitigate the consequences of the global warming that can no longer be prevented, and the associated extreme weather events such as heat and heavy rain, we want to test climate-resilient buildings and new urban-planning concepts. In particular, we want to unseal and plant surfaces and to massively expand roof and façade greening.

Creating shared spaces and areas

We want to create more shared spaces in cities, villages and settlements and to increase the number of communally used rooms. By means of legal requirements and more municipal housing construction, we want to reverse the trend towards maximising rentable floor space. Together with residents and urban planners, we want to create a new social building culture that offers spaces of retreat for everyone as well as spaces for togetherness and gathering. In cities with a tight housing market, we want to reduce the average size of flats for new builds.

Cities for everyone

Inclusive and accessible building must be the standard in public and socially used buildings, in order to enable all people to participate in social life. We are therefore committed to people of different cultural and social backgrounds living together through suitable urban planning.

A new, contemporary building industry

To quickly create the conditions for a new, contemporary building industry, we want to include education about the effects of the construction sector and the new possibilities for ecological and social building in the curricula at universities and vocational schools. We want to offer companies and employees in the building industry free participation in further-training programmes. A new state seal should certify and recognise building according to social-ecological criteria.

Agriculture and ecosystems: forgotten knowledge for a secure future

We want to make forgotten knowledge for the communal use of our land (including rivers, lakes and the sea) usable again. We are therefore committed to a so-called “ancient future”, that is, a return to and appreciation of traditional practices and knowledge. Wood pasture, Hauberg coppicing, hazel and reed are examples of traditional ways of farming and plant species that can form the basis of a nutritious and eco-effective diet. Our goal is agroecological peasant farms and regional distribution cooperatives as a recognised backbone of our society.

Redesigning agricultural and fisheries policy

The federal government’s agricultural and fisheries policy must be redesigned. To this end, we want to draw up a strategic plan that reorients national and EU agricultural and fisheries policy. The goal here is a 100-per-cent ecological and social earmarking of funding, a cap on direct payments per farm, and payments that decrease with size, in order to implement a turn towards supporting small and medium-sized farms and local economic cycles.

Supporting the switch to sustainable agriculture and forestry

We want to support agriculture and forestry in switching to sustainable management by fully compensating for no-fault losses of yield that occur during the switch, and by subsidising additional effort without bureaucracy. No agricultural or forestry business should have to bear financial losses because of the switch to sustainable management.

Structural change in favour of small farms

In Germany, the ongoing structural change, through the concentration of land, fishing rights and agricultural businesses in ever fewer large corporations, works to the disadvantage of producers, the environment and the socially disadvantaged. Even the marginal and socially problematic organic trend cannot counter the overall decline in Germany. We want to reverse this structural change and stop corporate concentration. To this end, we want to apply competition law more strictly in land law and in the food economy, and to cut bureaucracy in the system in favour of small farms.

Stabilising and securing the harvest

The existing agricultural system increasingly fails because of its own logic: declining yields with the use of fertilisers and pesticides, rapidly growing resistance among “pests”, rising prices and the health effects of consuming the end products offered by the system are consequences of an overall decline. We therefore want to tie agricultural subsidies 100 per cent to socio-ecological purposes and thereby stabilise harvest yields. In addition, we want to immediately introduce a coupling of funding to climate data, which also secures yields in future.

Promoting diverse crops

The industrial food chain relies on only 16 plant species for 86 per cent of global food production. Within these dominant species, it is estimated that 75 per cent of their genetic diversity has been lost through extinction. Almost 50 per cent of our society’s total plant-research resources are squandered on a single species, maize. We therefore want to bring about a massive diversification of research and to provide state support for an agriculture without monoculture. We regard permaculture as a guiding principle.

Plants as the basis of our diet

We want to stop the widespread damage to critical ecosystems caused by animal farming and to actively reverse the damage to the planet’s functions, ecosystem services and biological diversity. To this end, we want to put food systems at the centre of combating the climate crisis and to promote a switch to a healthier and more sustainable plant-based diet. Plants should form the basis of our diet.

Ending industrial factory farming

We want to end industrial factory farming in Germany, because it inflicts great suffering on the animals, depletes our soils and pollutes the groundwater. Worldwide, factory farming is currently responsible for 18-20% of greenhouse-gas emissions and must be ended for this reason too. Instead, we want to promote near-natural grazing for the preservation of ecosystems. We want to reduce stocking densities and to free our agriculture from its export orientation.

An agency for the regeneration of ecosystems

In order not only to protect ecosystems from further destruction, but to regenerate or restore already affected ecosystems in Germany, we are committed to founding an agency for the regeneration of ecosystems under the Environment Ministry. The agency should, in cooperation with municipalities (and within the framework of a state job guarantee), create well-paid jobs, in order, for example, to unseal surfaces, carry out measures to increase biodiversity in cities and in the countryside, renaturate extraction sites and rewet peatlands.

Deciding: the Green New Deal from below

Our Green New Deal should enable people to decide for themselves about the future of their communities. Investment decisions should therefore be made above all at the local and regional level, with democratic involvement of the population, in particular through citizens’ assemblies.

Regional rules for renewable energy through citizens’ assemblies

The energy transition requires a rethinking of the energy market, in which citizens and communities are involved as suppliers and consumers. This is not possible on the basis of the current laws. Laws and regulations must not slow down or prevent the expansion of renewable energies and must be adjusted accordingly. We want to carry out these adjustments by means of citizens’ assemblies, involving the people affected in the region.

Developing local transport concepts together

We want to develop local mobility concepts by means of citizens’ assemblies, in collaboration with citizens, especially in rural areas. We want to support civic engagement, such as the provision of community buses, and integrate it into local public transport. By means of citizens’ budgets, the people of a municipality should get more of a say in the use of funds from the Green New Deal.

Tackling the agricultural transition together with farmers

We want to achieve the social-ecological transition together with farmers and everyone employed in agriculture. We are therefore committed to open dialogues and assemblies, in order to develop support programmes and requirements for agriculture together. Instead of the representatives of international agricultural and seed corporations, we want to give a voice to the people who work every day in fields, in greenhouses and in stables for our food.

Setting up a European social-ecological network

To promote cooperation and the exchange of experience regarding the social-ecological transformation between municipalities, regions, citizens and farmers, we want to set up a social-ecological network of cities. It should bring together existing programmes of European cooperation such as URBACT III, the International Urban Cooperation Programme (IUC) and the European Network for Rural Development (ENRD), and equip them with a larger budget.