Boris Palmer - Climate Protection Initiative

Climate Protection Initiative

To help fight climate change, he has introduced a local campaign with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions in Tübingen by 70% until 2020 (Tübingen macht blau, literally meaning Tübingen goes blue, and figuratively Tübingen skips work). He encourages saving energy, switching from traditional to alternative sources of energy and lessening pollution, e.g. by introducing solar panels to the roofs of the town's schools, by subsidizing people who exchange their old heating systems with modern, more efficient ones, by subsidizing public transport and introducing more frequent public transport connections and by free transportation on public buses on Saturdays. In the longer term, he wants to create more space for bicycles and pedestrians in relation to cars. He also doesn't have an official car, instead he travels everywhere within the city by bicycle or by public transport.On this first as a Mayor of Tübingen he met the group of 22 South African students.