Hamburg Votes To Accelerate Its Carbon Neutral Target – CleanTechnica

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Last weekend, the residents of Hamburg, Germany (Hamburgers?), voted to strengthen their commitment to becoming a sustainable city. According to Electrive, they went to the polls on Sunday and approved an amendment to the city’s climate protection law. The amendment means that Hamburg has now committed itself to achieving climate neutrality by 2040. Previously the target date was 2045.

According to reports in the German press, the only way the city will be able to meet the new deadline is to ban cars with internal combustion engines after 2040. According to NDR News, 303,936 Hamburg residents voted in favor of the Future Decision proposal — 53.2%. 267,495 — 46.8% — opposed the change. Voter turnout was 43.6%.

Voters outside the city center were mostly opposed, while those closer to the center of the city were mostly in favor. One can hazard a guess that those in the suburbs depend more on their automobiles while those in town have access to more alternative transportation options. No matter where they live, the speed limit in the city will be 30 km/h when the new law takes effect — a leisurely 18 mph to you folks who still use the length of a dead English king’s foot to measure distance.

It Isn’t Easy Going Green

A report commissioned by the city from the Hamburg Institute and the Öko-Institut concluded that Hamburg can become climate-neutral by 2040, but only with drastic measures. For example, all gas and oil boilers in residential and non-residential buildings will have to be replaced by 2040, while the entire city gas grid will need to be shut down.

In residential construction, renovations will need to be significantly accelerated, and the installation of heating systems powered by renewable energy, such as heat pumps, will need to be promoted more vigorously. Mayor Peter Tschentscher announced on Sunday evening that he would implement the amendment as required by the constitution. However, there will be a transition period of two years, he said.

The core demand of the amendment, namely to achieve climate neutrality in Hamburg by 2040 instead of 2045, is to be enshrined in law but in a socially acceptable manner. That means, among other things, there will need to be affordable local and regional public transport that is accessible to all. Furthermore, clean energy should be used for heating homes and commercial buildings, coupled with the widespread installation of rooftop solar systems on public buildings and schools.

A report commissioned by the city and conducted by the Hamburg Institute and the Öko-Institut promoted the rapid implementation of 30 km/h speed limit throughout the city to be one of many important measures that will be needed to curb emissions. The report also suggests the establishment of zero-emission zones (NEZ) in which only emission-free vehicles, electric cars, and hydrogen vehicles are allowed to drive.

“In the interests of proportionality and predictability, the NEZ should start with a core area and gradually expand over the years. For example, the establishment of such a zone could begin within Ring 1 and then be extended to Ring 2, Ring 3 and finally the entire city area in subsequent years,” the report stated.

The report also emphasizes that in order to achieve climate neutrality for Hamburg, mobility must be completely electrified by 2040, meaning that no vehicles with internal combustion engines will be allowed to drive on Hamburg’s roads, except perhaps those running on climate-neutral e-fuels — assuming such fuels ever become available.

Vocal Opponents

Criticism has come from several sources. For instance, ADAC, the German auto club, claimed on its website that the “Positive Future decision is a catastrophe for transport.” An inconvenience? Certainly. A catastrophe? Humans dying from exposure to extraordinarily high temperatures is a catastrophe. Having to drive a zero emission vehicle is not.

“Public transport will not be able to cope with the additional passengers resulting from the ban on combustion engines. 50% of public transport users are already transported by bus,” said Hanno Huijssen, CEO of ADAC Hansa. The motoring club also doubts a 30 km/h speed limit makes any sense. It claims studies have shown that traveling at a steady 30 km/h leads to higher fuel consumption, increased nitrogen oxide emissions, and more fine particulates.

ADAC has other concerns as well. It says the speed limit is already 30 km/h on 60% of all the roads in Hamburg. Applying this limit to major roads will likely have a detrimental effect on traffic control. The potential consequences include a significant increase in ‘spy traffic’ through residential areas with 30 km/h speed limits, which in turn will worsen road safety there.

Furthermore, it suggests if everyone is driving on electrons instead of molecules, speed is largely irrelevant to emissions. However, Electrive says, it is important to understand that such details are not regulated by the amendment to the Climate Protection Act, so the 30 km/h might only be a transitional regulation until such time as all vehicles on the roads in Hamburg are electric.

Managing Change

Change is hard. Disrupting the norm always gets people fired up. We have been driving cars with infernal combustion engines in cities for over 100 years. Now suddenly we have to stop because some polar bears are struggling in the Arctic? People have been heating their homes with methane gas for nearly as long. It is all well and good to say that heat pumps are more efficient and will lower carbon emissions over time, but retrofitting an entire city in just 15 years’ time will require an heroic effort — and cubic amounts if euros to make it happen.

The people of Hamburg are to be congratulated. They seem to be under no illusions about the magnitude of the project they have approved at the polls or how challenging it will to turn all this info reality. But there is no denying we are in the middle of a climate emergency that is becoming more critical with each passing year, month, and day.

Hamburg is the largest port city in Germany and has been a trading center for Europe since 900 AD, largely because of its harbor. Yet Hamburg, like all the rest of Europe, is warmed by the AMOC current — also known as the Gulf Stream — which brings warm water from the Equator to the Continent. If the AMOC slows or stops, Hamburg’s role as a commercial hub could be significantly altered.

At a time when the pudgy potentate of the Potomac is speechifying about how Europeans are slitting their own throats by falling for the “green new scam,” it is heartening to see some are not taken in by such obvious lies and taking reasonable and responsible action to address the oncoming climate emergency. Danke, Hamburg.