Visitors to the state parliament: climate protection and mobility at the top of the agenda!

Visitors to the state parliament: climate protection and mobility at the top of the agenda!

A few days ago, committed citizens from the Schwalm-Eder district visited at the invitation of Christoph Sippel, MP Greens, the Hessian state parliament in Wiesbaden. A program that began with a city tour of Wiesbaden and included three exciting hours full of insights into parliamentary work and a plenary debate offered participants the opportunity to experience the political processes up close.

Particularly important to the visitors was the direct exchange with Sippel, which gave them an understanding of the legislative process and the challenges of political work. A central topic of the discussion was climate protection. Sippel highlighted the urgency of taking action in this area, especially given the noticeable consequences for the region. Critical issues such as the inadequate design of local public transport and the costs of the new Germany ticket were also raised.

Focus on transport transition and sustainable mobility

Parallel to these events, the Climate Protection Advisory Board met in Wiesbaden to discuss the new mobility paper, which is considered the key to the transport transition. The advisory board, consisting of 18 institutions, made it clear how important the connection between electromobility, bicycle promotion and the expansion of public transport is. The meeting also addressed the challenge of reconciling economic interests with ecological goals. With a clear goal in mind, the aim is to develop concrete recommendations for action for administration and politics. Citizens can actively participate in this discussion and are invited to attend the meetings to contribute their perspectives and suggestions, which is well received in the city.

The mobility paper could be the first step in the right direction, even though transport in Germany accounts for a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions. According to an analysis, emissions in the transport sector will have increased slightly by 2022 and will clearly miss the climate targets. In order to reduce CO2 emissions in transport to 85 million tonnes by 2030, a drastic reduction of almost 50 percent is necessary. A point that receives particular attention in the mobility paper.

Challenges and outlook

Transport policy in Germany traditionally favors motorized individual transport. Despite advances in electromobility and the growth in new registrations of electric vehicles, road transport remains responsible for 96 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in transport. Comprehensive measures are therefore necessary to ensure acceptance of the transport transition among the population and thus achieve the environmental goals.

On the way to implementing a real transport transition, it is important to make the new mobility concepts attractive to citizens. The positive feedback from the Schwalm-Eder district after the visit to the state parliament shows that personal exchange and participation are desired. Visitors find the contact with representatives like Christoph Sippel particularly valuable.

The challenges are clear, the determination is palpable and citizens are ready to get involved. It is now up to those responsible for politics to find a good hand in finding solutions that take both ecological and economic interests into account. It remains to be hoped that the many discussions in Wiesbaden and the state parliament will result in concrete progress in mobility policy.