More Trees for Berlin - Coalition Adopts Citizen Proposal - Berlin Coalition Adopts Citizens' Initiative to Plant 1 Million Trees
Berlin's ruling coalition of CDU and SPD has abandoned its own tree-planting bill, opting instead to adopt the draft of the citizens' initiative 'BaumEntscheid'. The initiative welcomes this move but has criticized the coalition's previous bill as diluting its plans.
The 'BaumEntscheid' initiative aims to plant a million trees in Berlin by 2040, more than doubling the current urban tree population of around 440,000. The initiative's bill also includes the establishment of a control council to oversee the law's implementation. This council could consist of representatives from various groups, such as citizens, environmental organizations, scientific experts, and local authorities.
The coalition plans to pass the initiative's bill in a special session of the House of Representatives on November 3. Before this, the initiative will be heard again in the House's main committee on October 8, with a resolution to be formulated on October 17. The estimated costs of the project range from three to ten billion euros, with the coalition hoping to finance part of it with federal funds.
If the parliament passes the initiative's bill, the planned citizens' decision on urban greenery and climate change adaptation would be off the table. The coalition aims to clarify open details in the bill with the 'BaumEntscheid' initiative before the special session.
