Berlin (Germany)
In 1994 Berlin became the capital of Germany. With about 3,4 Mill inhabitants, Berlin is also the biggest city in Germany. Four universities, 13 universities of applied sciences, countless private and public research facilities and young business companies shaping Berlin as an innovative location. Berlin is also a green city, Berlin is Europe–wide, perhaps world-wide the capital with the highest green share.
Berlin authorities are well aware of the fact that we all live in one world and is acting according to the maxim: act local- think global. Therefore Berlin has agreed to reduce CO2 emission by 2010 about 25 %. Up to date Berlin has reached a reduction by 15 %. To fulfil the target the city has started various programs, as example the "ESP-Program" (energy-saving-partnerships), the "solar roof initiative" on which roofs of public buildings are offered to private investors and "fifty-fifty" an energy saving program for schools.
Gender Equality and Climate Policy in Berlin
Berlin is part of the project because the project is related to our own campaign "Agendaforum" (Berlin Participation -Panel of the Local Agenda 21), which claims a enhanced attendance of women in municipal, climate related decisions. Climate protection is not a gender-neutral task which cares only about higher efficiency and exploitation from potentials, but it is challenge which acts directly onto the consumer behaviour and the overall lifestyle of a community. In Berlin, women are clearly in an inferior position when it comes to technical climate protection related tasks. Women are also in much lesser positions in corresponding political bodies. A change of course with the target of a balanced attendance of men and women in relevant sense-making-processes could optimise climate protection politics and bring the view of women into these politics. To which degree this approach will lead to a higher participation of woman is not clear, but clear is, climate protection is not only a "men" concern. Although Berlin has in the fields of "Lokale Agenda" and climate protection already many activities on the run, we think that every effort is worth to make.
Contact
Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung IX B 1
Ms Klara Furth-Deutschländer
Brückenstrasse 6
D-10179 Berlin
tel: +49-30-9025-2050, fax: +49-30-9025-2509
e-mail: Klara.Furth(at)senstadt.verwalt-berlin.de
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