Science Platform for Climate Protection submits report to German government

"The Policy measures so far presented by the German government point into the right direction. However, they're unfortunately not sufficient to achieve the climate targets set by the policy-makers," said Sabine Schlacke. "For one thing, the policies are patchy. For example, more needs to happen in agriculture and forestry. Wherever land-use practices  result in carbon sinks, hence binding greenhouse gases for example by growing forests or by wetland preserving and careful agriculture, this should be rewarded financially. Wherever greenhouse gases are released, like maybe in livestock production or land clearing, polluters should pay."

"Second, and just as important, the federal government's climate policy has a problem in getting accepted. Citizens therefore should not be treated as objects but as subjects of change," said Schlacke. "We must aim at not changing their lives, but at supporting them in changing their lives themselves. Citizens must be mobilized as 'prosumers' with regard to climate mitigation measures, as is done by installing solar systems. Local energy cooperatives must also be encouraged, as well as small businesses, cities and towns, to make them winners of the transformation as well. This is not easy. Yet it is only together that we can achieve the climate turnaround."