Grüne on climate and energy

The Greens want to declare 2023 the year of climate education and introduce a statewide climate project week at daycare centers and schools. Climate education is to be part of every curriculum. The platform argues that knowledge and dialogue are needed to understand the climate crisis.

Children and young people should learn more about the climate. In 2023 there should be a climate project week at daycare centers and schools. Climate should be a topic in all curricula. This also applies to vocational schools.

The project week is to be run together with researchers, associations and other partners. Schools are to be able to show their commitment to climate education publicly in a simple way. The Greens speak of a right of all people to climate education and education for sustainable development. The latter is also to be firmly established at vocational schools, and the state is to provide resources for sustainability topics, school concepts and learning environments.

The Greens want to work with private and public players on a plan for how the culture, events and film sector can become climate neutral. The reason given is the sector's share in greenhouse gas emissions.

Concerts, films and festivals also harm the climate. The Greens want to make a plan for this. The culture sector should help write it. In the end, the sector should no longer harm the climate.

The plan is meant to show how sustainability can improve and climate neutrality be reached. It includes recommendations, requirements and support for more sustainable event formats and infrastructure. It is meant to help meet the climate targets.

The Greens want major sporting events to be climate-neutral and sustainable by 2030 at the latest. Olympic and Paralympic Games in the state would only be possible with a climate-friendly concept and a public referendum.

Big sports events should no longer harm the climate. This should apply by 2030. Visitors should be able to get there without a car. People should vote on whether the Olympic Games come to the state.

The plan includes professional resource and environmental management, a published carbon footprint, and offsetting of emissions that cannot be avoided. It covers renewable energy, waste avoidance, recycling, and regional, seasonal, and fair-trade products. Venues should be reachable without a car, with dedicated public transit offers. Existing facilities take priority, and later use should be reviewed at the planning stage. The Greens also want alternatives to artificial turf and more attention to animal welfare in sports.

The Greens want to create a scientific sustainability council attached to the state parliament. It would track the state's progress on its climate and sustainability goals and propose steps when the state falls behind. The existing sustainability check would also apply to parliamentary initiatives.

The Greens want a council for sustainability at the state parliament. Experts from science sit on this council. They check whether the state reaches its climate goals. They make proposals when the state is too slow.

The guideline is the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The sustainability check already introduced for state government decisions would be applied in full and extended to initiatives from parliament. The council would serve as the central advisory body, pool and publish information, and report to parliament regularly. Each report would trigger a parliamentary debate.

The Greens want Schleswig-Holstein to be climate neutral by 2035 at the latest, earlier than federal law requires. Climate and species protection would take priority when policy trade-offs are made. A fixed remaining CO2 budget would become the yardstick for all state policy.

The Greens want Schleswig-Holstein to be climate neutral by 2035. Climate neutral means the state no longer harms the climate. Climate and species protection should come first in decisions. The state should only be allowed to emit a fixed amount of CO2.

The state's main contribution would be expanding renewable energy. The program wants to fix a remaining budget of 147 million tons of CO2 from 2020 onward, derived from the 1.5-degree goal. Progress would be measured against this budget regularly and measures adjusted accordingly. An additional greenhouse gas inventory would estimate climate impact over 20 years and emissions linked to imports.

The Greens want to define climate protection as a public interest and add it as a goal to the state constitution. The program justifies this with the aim of securing a livable future for all generations.

The Greens want to write climate protection into the state constitution. The constitution is the most important law of the state. Climate protection should count as an interest of everyone. This way later generations can also live well.

Climate protection would be legally treated as a public interest. It would also be listed as a goal in the state constitution. The program gives the future of all generations as the reason.

The Greens want to review all state funding programs for compatibility with climate protection. State subsidies that harm the climate would end. In addition, the state development plan and regional plans should be easier to adjust quickly.

The Greens want to check all state funding. Money for things that harm the climate should stop. The plans for how the state develops should also be easier to change quickly.

The review covers all state funding. The state development plan and the regional plans set the long-term framework for the state. Because of the expected transformation of the economy and society, the program wants procedures for evaluating and revising these plans promptly.

The Greens want the state administration to set an example on climate protection. State buildings would get emission-free heat and electricity by 2035 instead of 2040. The administration's vehicles would be emission-free by 2030.

The Greens want the state administration to be a model for climate protection. Its buildings should get heat and power without emissions from 2035. Until now the plan was 2040. The administration's cars should run without emissions by 2030.

Renewable energy and solar panels would become standard for existing state buildings too, not only for new construction and renovation. The EMiL renovation program would be carried out and financially secured, and the building administration and facility management equipped accordingly. Construction would increasingly use renewable, recycled or recyclable materials. For the vehicle fleet, except certain special vehicles, an implementation plan and more charging infrastructure are planned.

The Greens want to launch climate partnerships between municipalities in Schleswig-Holstein and municipalities in the Global South and provide resources for them. The state itself would also enter a partnership with another country. A state fund would finance the projects.

The Greens want climate partnerships with poorer countries. Towns in Schleswig-Holstein would then work together with places there. The state should get a partner too. A state fund should pay for the projects.

In these long-term partnerships, politics, administration and civil society would draw up joint action programs and provide expert support for carrying them out. Possible fields include renewable energy, peatland protection, organic farming, waste management and climate adaptation. The fund would also be open to private contributors. In the program's view, traditional development aid often entrenches structures to the disadvantage of the Global South. At the federal level, the program considers a development strategy for global climate justice necessary.

The Greens demand that shipping be brought into the emissions trading system. An EU innovation fund is to cushion the cost of new propulsion systems, and a European plan for the shift to emission-free shipping is to be drawn up.

Ships give off exhaust gases. The Greens want ships to pay for that. This is called emissions trading. An EU fund should help pay for new engines. The EU should make a plan for clean ships.

Emissions trading, which requires allowances for greenhouse gas output, is to be extended to ships. An EU innovation fund is to offset the extra cost of novel propulsion systems and projects for emission-free shipping. Retrofitting fishing vessels should also be eligible. In addition, the platform calls for a reliable European transition plan based on hydrogen-derived fuels or alternatives such as wind power.

The Greens want to update the Generalplan Küstenschutz (coastal protection master plan) and develop a "Niederungen 2100" lowlands strategy. Building in flood-prone areas is to be avoided where possible. The platform cites rising sea levels and extreme weather.

The sea is rising and storm floods are getting worse. The Greens want to protect the coasts better. There should be a new plan for low-lying areas. People should no longer build where water can reach.

The updated master plan is to contain new approaches and measures for the North Sea, the Baltic and the lower Elbe. The "Niederungen 2100" strategy is to develop solutions for infrastructure, settlements and land use together with those affected, building on "Wattenmeer 2100" and "Ostseeküste 2100". At-risk areas are to stay free of buildings, or houses are to be built on small mounds; municipalities are to plan reinforced promenades or flood gates. Floodplains are to be farmed without pesticides or fertilizer. The platform stresses that climate protection is more effective and cheaper than adaptation.

The Greens want a state program to adapt cities to the changed climate, for example with green facades and unsealed ground. A advisory service for municipalities and a state heat protection action plan are to be added.

The Greens want more green in the cities. Plants should grow on house walls. The ground should soak up more rain. That protects against heavy rain. A plan should protect people from strong heat.

The state program for greening and climate adaptation is to fund green facades, green spaces planted with diverse species and the sponge city concept. Under that concept, unsealed ground absorbs more water, which is meant to protect against heavy rainfall. Together with municipalities, an advisory service tailored to regional needs is to be set up. A state heat protection action plan is to fund measures against the effects of very high temperatures.

The Greens want a faster phase-out of coal power and other fossil energy sources. Schleswig-Holstein is to contribute more than its proportional share to Germany's energy supply and expand power grids and storage with foresight.

The Greens want to stop using coal, oil and gas sooner. Schleswig-Holstein should deliver a lot of green power for Germany. This needs more power lines and storage. Nature should stay protected.

The program treats the energy transition as the key to climate neutrality and as an economic opportunity, especially for rural areas. Because of its good conditions for wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy, the state is to take on an above-average share of Germany's energy supply. Grids and storage are to grow in line with demand and ahead of need. Expansion is to go hand in hand with protecting endangered species and ecosystems, for example through technical solutions for large birds and bats.

The Greens want to raise the target for onshore renewable electricity to 45 to 50 terawatt-hours by 2030. By 2040, the state's entire energy demand for electricity, heat and transport is to come from renewable sources. The targets are to be set down in the state's Energy Transition and Climate Protection Act.

The Greens want the state to make much more green power. By 2030 it should be 45 to 50 terawatt-hours. That is a unit for a very large amount of power. By 2040 all energy in the state should be renewable. These goals should be written into a law.

Although the state covers only 4.4 percent of Germany's area, it is to supply at least 10 percent of the country's onshore green electricity by 2030. For 2040 the program names at least 90 terawatt-hours from onshore renewables. Interim targets are also to be anchored in the state law. The Greens point out that this requires suitable federal rules and a fair division of tasks among the federal states.

The Greens want as many people in the state as possible to benefit from the energy transition. To that end, the Bürgerenergiefonds (citizen energy fund) is to grow, and citizen-owned wind and solar parks are to get help with financing and permits. According to the program, this creates local value and acceptance.

The Greens want citizens to take part in the energy transition. Citizens should be able to build their own wind and solar parks more easily. The state has a fund for this. This fund should get bigger. Renters should also be able to use their own solar power more easily.

Citizen-owned wind and solar parks are to be supported in getting loans and in applying for permits. At the federal level, the Greens want to push for simpler tenant electricity models and cooperative projects and for less red tape for very small solar installations. People living near wind and solar parks are to be able to buy small ownership shares more easily. The program points to early public participation in grid expansion as a model.

The Greens want to help municipalities build their own structures for climate protection. In addition, more pilot projects are to become possible in which municipalities or citizen cooperatives supply electricity and heat themselves.

The Greens want to help towns and villages protect the climate. There should be climate offices and climate officers there. Towns and citizen groups should be able to offer power and heat themselves. A new prize should honor good ideas for protecting nature.

Support is planned for climate offices, climate protection officers, volunteer climate scouts and climate advisory councils. Municipalities and citizen cooperatives are to find it easier to enter the electricity and heat supply business, including storage and fast-charging points for electric cars. The program argues that participation raises acceptance and the willingness to invest. In addition, a state prize for resource protection is to honor projects and ideas.

The Greens want to expand onshore wind power beyond the 10 gigawatts agreed so far, with 15 gigawatts as the next interim target. To do this, new sites are to be found and additional priority areas designated.

The Greens want more wind turbines on land. The goal so far is 10 gigawatts of capacity. The new goal is 15 gigawatts. The state will look for new sites. Single turbines and very small wind parks should also be allowed.

Existing sites are to be used better; in regions with few turbines, very small parks and single turbines are to be allowed as well. The review of regional planning is to be finished by September and the new designation process is to start in 2022, so the areas are ready before the nationwide coal phase-out. Distance rules are to follow the Federal Immission Control Act, and a site screening is to find further locations. Nature-compatible wind expansion is to be recognized by law as being in the public interest; exceptions from species protection remain case-by-case decisions.

The Greens want faster permits for wind turbines and easier replacement of old turbines with new ones (repowering). Technology such as collision warning systems is meant to make wind power and species protection more compatible.

The Greens want wind turbines to get permits faster. The authorities should get more staff. Old turbines should be easier to replace with new ones. Technology should protect birds from the turbines.

Permitting authorities are to be strengthened, permits are no longer to be tied to one specific turbine type, and procedures are to run digitally and be pooled at state level. Existing turbines are to keep running as long as technically possible; a state strategy is planned for repowering at accepted sites. Funding for anti-collision systems is being examined because they can be a financial burden for small citizen projects, and university research on them is to be supported. The party also wants to support new storage, high-altitude wind and virtual power plants.

The Greens want every suitable roof in the state to carry a solar installation. A solar mandate is to apply to all new buildings; existing buildings are to be retrofitted when ownership changes or the roof undergoes major renovation.

The Greens want solar panels on all suitable roofs. Anyone who builds a new house must put solar panels on the roof. Old houses should get panels when they are sold or the roof is renewed. People with little money should get help. The party also wants more support for balcony solar panels.

A statewide solar roof register is to show publicly which roofs are suitable. The state and municipalities are to lead with their own roofs. For existing buildings, a mix of subsidies and obligations is planned that is meant to avoid hardship for people with little money. For listed buildings, regulations are to make permits for energy upgrades easier. Surplus solar power is to be used locally where possible, for example with heat pumps, and balcony and facade systems are to get more support.

The Greens consider ground-mounted solar installations necessary and want to leave site selection with the municipalities. The installations are also meant to offer habitats for animals and plants and to be combined with farming.

The Greens also want solar panels on open land. Towns and villages should keep deciding on the sites themselves. Animals and plants should be able to live under the panels. On some sites, farmers should grow crops or keep sheep at the same time.

Instead of state-level planning, municipalities and project developers are to receive guidelines for good practice. Planning is to create biotope networks, meaning linked habitats beneath photovoltaic and solar thermal installations. Agri-photovoltaics is to combine power generation with crop growing or livestock, for example sheep. Installations are to be placed deliberately on burdened land, such as near power lines, highways or former corn fields.

The Greens want to switch biogas plants from corn to residues, manure and flower strips. The plants are mainly meant to balance fluctuations in wind and solar power. According to the program, freed-up corn fields could be used for solar energy, organic farming, biodiversity or forest.

Biogas plants need a lot of corn today. The Greens want to change that. The plants should use manure and leftovers. They should deliver power when wind and sun are missing. Other things can then grow on the corn fields.

By 2030, residues are to provide 5 terawatt-hours of renewable heat and fuels. Waste heat from the plants is to feed local heating networks or serve industry as a renewable carbon source. At the federal level, the Greens want to push for suitable rules. Pilot projects for using residues as materials are to move ahead, and the state is to develop into a bioeconomy location.

The Greens consider expanding and building new power lines indispensable for meeting climate targets. All federal states are to speed up grid expansion; burdens on residents and nature are to be kept low through transparency and dialogue.

Green power has to get to where people need it. So the Greens want to build more power lines. All federal states should get faster at this. The party wants to talk openly with residents. The Wadden Sea should be spared.

Lines from offshore wind parks that come ashore in the state are to be bundled with existing infrastructure where possible in order to spare the Wadden Sea National Park. The program sees power grids as a location factor because companies settle where renewable energy is reliably available. Integrated grid planning is to develop the infrastructure corridors further. The Greens want to support the federal government in grid development planning and refine the procedures for determining demand.

The Greens want to develop Schleswig-Holstein into a central location for producing, importing and trading green hydrogen in Northern Europe. Hydrogen is to be used specifically where other renewables cannot be used directly, such as in industry and in heavy-duty transport, shipping and aviation.

Green hydrogen is a gas made with green power. The Greens want to make and trade a lot of it in the state. Factories, ships, planes and heavy trucks should use it. The state should help factories switch with money.

The state's hydrogen strategy is to be updated and complemented by an import and export strategy. Industrial companies are to keep receiving support when switching away from fossil fuels, and municipalities when building hydrogen infrastructure for new industrial sites. Hydrogen is also to serve as storage for surplus wind and solar power, and waste heat from electrolysis is to supply heating networks. Producers and large consumers in the state are to gain access to the European market; the projects Aquaventus, Hyscale100 and Hyperlink are supported as long as they focus on renewably produced hydrogen.

The Greens want to create a separate network for transporting hydrogen. To do so, natural gas pipelines, storage sites and consuming facilities are to be converted or replaced with new ones. A uniform "H2-ready" standard is to define when facilities can run on pure green hydrogen right away.

Hydrogen needs its own pipelines and storage. The Greens want to convert old natural gas pipelines or build new ones. Hydrogen plants should be located in the north. There should be a clear rule for when a facility is ready for hydrogen.

Together with the northern German states and the federal government, integrated infrastructure planning with uniform regulation, codes and standards is to be created. At the federal level, the Greens want electrolysis plants to be sited in the north so that fewer additional power lines are needed. The "H2-ready" standard is to require that infrastructure or power plants can switch to 100 percent green hydrogen without costly modifications. The program expects jobs from this, for example in planning, manufacturing, pipeline and steel construction and maintenance.

The Greens want to clearly exceed the federal target of 50 percent renewable heat by 2030. About 4 percent of buildings are to get energy upgrades each year. Tenant protection and targeted subsidies are meant to keep people from falling into social hardship as a result.

Heating uses half of the energy in the state. The Greens want more heat from renewable sources. Each year about 4 out of 100 buildings should be renovated. This should also lower heating costs. Renters should be protected.

The program calls for extensive investments and incentives, to which the state is also to contribute. A pact for building renovation is to be concluded with the skilled trades, universities, development banks and chambers. Energy upgrades are meant to counter rising utility and heating costs, and the state is to back federal subsidies with its own measures. The heat transition is to be accompanied by effective tenant protection and targeted support.

The Greens want to amend the state's Energy Transition and Climate Protection Act again and make climate action mandatory for all municipalities. Every municipality would have to draw up a heat plan. Regional climate agencies and new funds are meant to help.

The Greens want all towns and villages to protect the climate. Each one must make a plan for its heat supply. New advice centers will help small villages most of all. The state will provide money for this.

Heat plans would become binding for every municipality. Regional climate protection agencies are to be set up across the state, advising smaller communities in particular. A special fund called "Klimaneutrale Kommune" (climate-neutral municipality) would co-finance federal projects and pay for a state funding guideline. In addition, a revolving fund for municipal climate managers would be refilled through partial repayment of efficiency gains. Rules that hinder climate measures are to be simplified, and the state's own building management is to be geared to the climate targets.

The Greens want local and district heating networks to stop using fossil fuels by 2035 at the latest. New housing areas should as a rule be planned with carbon-neutral local heating. Solar thermal and geothermal energy are to play a major role.

The Greens want heating networks without oil, gas and coal. This should be done by 2035. New housing areas should get climate-friendly heat. Heat from the sun and from the ground should be used more.

Heat and cooling planning in municipalities and neighborhoods is to receive active support. A framework is to be created for seasonal heat storage and ground-mounted solar thermal plants. Geothermal energy would be promoted, and the cost risk of test drilling reduced. The expansion of heat storage in general is also to be pushed forward.

The Greens want new buildings to meet at least the Effizienzhaus 40 standard and renovations to aim for Effizienzhaus 55. At the federal level they want to ensure that no oil or gas-only heating systems are installed from 2023 on. The platform points to the long service life of heating systems.

The Greens want houses that save energy. New houses should need very little energy. From 2023, nobody should install new oil heaters or gas-only heaters. The state should support heat pumps.

A revolving energy transition and renovation fund is to pay for these plans. The platform notes that heating systems run for 15 to 20 years and therefore need to be built on a renewable basis already now. New gas infrastructure would only have a future if it serves renewable energy. Heat pumps are to be subsidized, always combined with a storage unit.

The Greens want to push at the federal level for grid expansion costs to be shared nationwide, so that electricity in Schleswig-Holstein is not more expensive than elsewhere. The power market should work with flexible prices, and surplus power should be usable locally. At the same time, energy use should fall.

Power grids cost money. The Greens want to share these costs equally across Germany. Power prices should follow supply. Spare wind power should be used in the state. Everyone should use less energy.

The federal reform of energy levies and taxes is to be actively supported from Schleswig-Holstein. Storage, sector coupling, a wide-area grid and price signals are meant to reduce shutdowns of generating plants. Consumers would be kept informed of the current market price so they can adjust their use. Power-hungry businesses such as data centers should locate close to generation. Programs are to identify savings potential, and the investment bank's energy and climate initiative is to get more staff.

The Greens see Schleswig-Holstein as a hub for electricity and hydrogen in the North Sea and Baltic region. They want to pursue an active European energy policy with neighboring countries and step up the exchange on renewable energy.

Schleswig-Holstein lies between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The Greens want to work more closely with neighbor countries on energy. The state should pass on power and hydrogen. Hydrogen is a gas that stores energy.

The platform mentions a possible north-south link between Denmark and Lower Saxony or Hamburg as part of a European hydrogen network. It also considers a connection to hydrogen production in the North Sea and import terminals for green hydrogen conceivable. The NordLink cable to Norway is cited as an example of existing cooperation. Administrative resources are to be made available for this cooperation.

The Greens reject an LNG terminal in Schleswig-Holstein and the start-up of Nord Stream 2. New projects that harm the climate should receive no state money. In the platform's view, fossil energy infrastructure has no future.

The Greens do not want a terminal for liquid gas in the state. The gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 should not start. The state should give no money to projects that harm the climate. Other energy sources should be looked at instead.

The platform bases its rejection on CO2 from combustion and on methane, which it describes as highly damaging to the climate. As alternatives it lists electrification, hydrogen and ammonia, plus smaller amounts of synthetic fuels, for example for ships and aircraft. These technologies are to be assessed with an open mind and supported if they fit the 1.5-degree limit. The condition is that they are based on green hydrogen in the future.

The Greens want the state's three shut-down nuclear power plants dismantled swiftly and completely. They reject a return to nuclear energy, which they consider expensive and dangerous. A memorial site is to preserve the history of the conflicts over nuclear power.

The state has three nuclear plants that are switched off. The Greens want to take them down quickly and safely. They do not want new nuclear power. A place should remind people of the fight over nuclear power.

The plants concerned are Brunsbüttel, Krümmel and Brokdorf; Brokdorf went offline at the end of 2021. The platform argues that wind, sun and water supply enough energy and that nuclear plants cannot be run anywhere without state backing. Dismantling and the search for a final repository are to be handled openly and transparently.

The Greens want to scale back and end oil and gas extraction in the state. They reject new oil drilling, fracking and the underground storage of CO2 (CCS). The royalty on crude oil is to rise in order to create an environmental steering effect.

The Greens want to stop producing oil and gas in the state. There should be no new oil drilling. Companies should pay the state more for the oil they pump. Oil production in the Wadden Sea should end soon.

The platform announces a push for a fundamental reform of mining law. At the same time, a legally sound way is to be found to raise the royalty for existing extraction as well. It argues that a noticeably higher royalty is economically bearable even when oil prices are low. Oil production in the Wadden Sea National Park is to end as soon as possible, followed by swift and safe dismantling.

The Greens want urban development to be more ecological and cities to be prepared for the effects of the climate crisis. This includes more greenery, less car traffic and conversion into sponge cities.

Cities should get ready for the climate crisis. There should be more trees and green spaces. Some cities should be able to soak up rainwater better. This is called a sponge city. Fewer cars should be on the road.

The Greens call for more green spaces, trees, green facades and vegetation corridors from the center to the outskirts that provide shade and store water. Car traffic is to fall through better public transit, sharing services, coworking spaces, attractive bike and foot paths, and fewer public parking areas. Competitions such as "Artenreiche Kommune" (species-rich municipality) and "Essbare Stadt" (edible city) are to include private and commercial land, and urban gardening is to become easier. Municipalities are to get support for biodiversity-friendly green maintenance, and a funding program for insect-friendly path lighting is planned.

The Greens want to measure all of the state's fiscal decisions against sustainability goals and the 1.5-degree target. Investments and funding programs are to be checked in advance for their climate impact, and a fixed share of the budget is to go to climate protection.

The Greens want the state's money to follow climate goals. The state should check first whether spending helps the climate. Spending that harms the climate should go down. At least 5 percent of the budget should go to climate protection.

Climate-damaging spending and subsidies are to fall while climate spending rises. For the energy transition, climate protection and climate adaptation, a binding share of at least 5 percent of the total budget is to be reached step by step. Funds from the EU and the federal government should as a rule not be used in climate-damaging ways, and business support programs will be reviewed. The state's climate report is to be expanded to include the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the infrastructure report is to show each measure's climate impact. Ecological minimum standards such as green roofs and solar panels on public buildings are to be extended.

The Greens want to oblige all public companies in the state to publish sustainability reports. These are to be linked to a sustainability strategy and measures to reach climate neutrality by 2035. State-owned companies would also have to draw up a common-good balance sheet.

Some companies belong to the state or to towns. They should report how sustainably they work. For example, they should state their CO2 emissions. They should be climate neutral by 2035. That means they no longer harm the climate.

The reporting duty would apply to state holdings and all public companies, including municipal enterprises and savings banks. Reports are to contain measurable figures, such as CO2 caused and saved. This is tied to a corporate sustainability strategy and a package of measures for climate neutrality by 2035. State-owned companies would also have to produce a regular common-good balance sheet, starting with a pilot project.