The climate threat|Global challenges

Election poster in Berlin. Markus Schreiber / AP 

The climate threat|Global challenges 

Berlin votes - can become climate neutral by 2030  

Tomorrow Berlin's residents will vote on a demand that the German capital become climate neutral by 2030 instead of 2045, which is the national goal today, AP writes.  

The Christian Democratic CDU appears to be about to take over power in the city, and will be responsible for achieving the goal if the proposal is voted through. This despite the fact that the party is opposed to the proposal. CDU politician Stefan Evers warned this week that a yes vote in the referendum will force drastic savings on schools and childcare, among other things. 

Opinion polls show that the Yes side appears to have a slight advantage ahead of the vote. Meanwhile, the law requires at least 25 percent of the city's 2.4 million eligible voters to vote yes, which requires people to actually go and vote.  

This can be difficult, as the vote does not take place in connection with an ordinary election.  

Franziska Giffey, SPD. Christophe Gateau / AP  

Climate threatGlobal challenges  

Politicians warn: The goal cannot be reached by 2030  

Both the social democratic SPD and the Christian democratic CDU are clear that they want to see a no vote in Sunday's referendum in Berlin on whether the city should become climate neutral as early as 2030, reports the Berliner Zeitung. Both parties warn that the goal will be difficult to achieve in practice, and that it will be very expensive. 

- We think it is important that the issue is taken seriously, but it is not possible for Berlin to be climate neutral by 2030, says SPD's Franziska Giffey.  

The CDU's Stefan Evers says that climate change is a historic challenge and that his party wants to increase funding for climate measures by between five and ten billion euros. But he still wants to see a no in the vote. 

- Everyone who votes yes must ask themselves: Do we want to see drastic cuts in preschools, schools, sports facilities, in the work with homelessness and social issues because of this vote, he says according to AP. 

Archive image. Frans Timmermans. Jean-Francois Badias / AP 

Climate threat EU's future 

EU agrees on "green cars" until 2035 - Germany backs down  

The European Commission and Germany have reached an agreement on the issue of the planned requirement for carbon dioxide-neutral vehicles, which the parties disputed. That's what EU climate minister Frans Timmermans writes on Twitter on Saturday morning.  

This means that the German government is giving up its opposition to the bill that all new cars sold after 2035 must be carbon dioxide neutral, writes TT. 

"Now we will work with the carbon dioxide standard for cars to be adopted as quickly as possible", writes.

Climate threatGlobal challenges 

Financier: Berlin can become an example for the world  

Several American philanthropists have contributed financially to the Yes side's campaign ahead of Sunday's referendum in Berlin on whether the city should become climate neutral as early as 2030, AP writes. In total, the campaign has received 1.2 million euros in donations. 

The largest individual donation, over 400,000 euros, comes from the German-American investors Albert Wenger and Susan Danziger, who have also previously been involved in the climate issue.  

Wenger writes in a comment to AP that Berlin can become an example for the rest of the world when it comes to climate change.  

"The initiative in Berlin shows that citizens, through a democratic process, demand faster and more powerful action," he writes.