Sounding Off: Goldschmidt Presses for More Green Bucks for Climate Resilience
Climate Adaptation Funding Increase Urged by Environment Minister - Climate Adaptation Needs Further Funding Suggests Environmental Minister
Tobias Goldschmidt, environmental minister of Schleswig-Holstein, is barking up the wrong tree if he thinks our wallets are bear-proof. He insists that bankrolling measures aimed at adapting to climate change's bloodthirsty consequences is non-negotiable. "The roadmap to a great and bulletproof life also includes dumping billions into wetlands, deltas, forests, and city parks," Goldschmidt (Green Party) growled to the German Press Agency at the start of the environmental ministers' powwow in Mettlach-Orscholz, Saarland.
So he's shouting loud and clear: Time to establish a new joint task force for climate adaptation and biodiversity preservation. Goldschmidt growled, "This new puppy recognizes that keeping our living conditions healthy can only be achieved through collaboration between the federal government and the states."
The joint task's goal is to beef up the 100-billion-euro long-term funding pot for climate protection buried in the federal government's kitty. Although this kitty will finance nature's living conditions, it's limited to a puny 12-year lease.
Five billion stoops for Schleswig-Holstein
Exactly how much Green requires to pull off this Skydance remains to be seen, but it's expecting at least 5.5 billion euros worth of greenbacks for climate resilience in Schleswig-Holstein by 2040. "Every buck we drop here strengthens the security of the folks in our land," Goldschmidt growled.
The environmental ministers are chit-chatting in Saarland until Friday.
- Climate Adaptation
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Tobias Goldschmidt
- Mettlach-Orscholz
- Federal Government
- Biodiversity Preservation
- German Press Agency
The proposed plan for serious spending on climate resilience in Schleswig-Holstein involves significant involvement by the German federal government, with expectations extending to 2040. The federal government, under its new coalition, continues to prioritize climate policy, especially through its Environment Ministry that now oversees national and international climate policy as well as climate finance.
A large-scale federal infrastructure and climate neutrality fund, amounting to €500 billion, has been spawned to support climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, with a substantial chunk of this fund expected to be funneled toward regional climate adaptation projects like those in Schleswig-Holstein. The federal government's International Climate Initiative also provides targeted funding for specific initiatives, such as the Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative that boosts climate resilience in the region.
Schleswig-Holstein is actively developing integrated state governmental strategies for climate adaptation, with a strong emphasis on coastal protection and resilience against sea-level rise and inundation, using tools like Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) to effectively reconcile ecological and socio-economic factors. Investments are expected to continue in climate protection and adaptation measures locally, supported by federal funding streams and in line with Germany’s broader energy transition and climate neutrality goals. The strategic focus includes conservation and adaptation synergies in marine and coastal environments, leveraging data integration and planning to enhance the adaptive management and protection of vulnerable ecosystems and community infrastructure through 2040. In summary, the federal government plays a pivotal role by providing substantial financial resources and policy coordination through its large climate and infrastructure fund and the International Climate Initiative, which are expected to enable Schleswig-Holstein to invest heavily in climate adaptation measures—in particular coastal resilience and sustainable regional development—through 2040.
- Tobias Goldschmidt, the environmental minister of Schleswig-Holstein, encourages a collaborative effort between the federal government and states to establish a new joint task force, focusing on climate adaptation and biodiversity preservation, with the ultimate goal of bolstering the long-term funding pot for climate protection.
- In line with the federal government's emphasis on climate policy, the emerging large-scale federal infrastructure and climate neutrality fund, amounting to €500 billion, aims to support climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, with a substantial portion intended for investment in regional climate adaptation projects like those in Schleswig-Holstein.
- The federal government's International Climate Initiative offers targeted funding for specific initiatives, such as the Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative, which bolsters climate resilience in the region, further contributing to climate adaptation efforts in Schleswig-Holstein.
