Climate activists in Berlin are not giving up the fight for more ambitious climate goals even after the failure of the referendum held last Sunday. Jessamine Davis, spokeswoman for the “Climate Reset” alliance, said that they would continue to fight despite the narrow majority voting in favor of Berlin legally becoming climate-neutral by 2030 instead of 2045. The referendum failed as the quorum, requiring the approval of at least 25 percent of all eligible voters was not met.
Although the referendum failed due to the quorum not being met, 442,210 votes were cast in favor of the initiative, showing that many people in Berlin believed that politicians were not acting fast enough when it came to climate protection. Berlin’s governing mayor Franziska Giffey emphasized that the fight against climate change was one of “our central political tasks,” and the CDU, which is conducting coalition negotiations with the SPD, holds a similar view.
The referendum result showed that Berlin wants more climate protection, but also highlighted that the necessary change is polarizing and triggering fears. Despite criticism for not taking place on the same day as the repeat election, the majority spoke out in favor of more climate protection. Ultimately, the referendum failure is a defeat for everyone in Berlin. The next step is to ensure that the climate change in Berlin is designed in a socially just manner.
