THE EUROPEAN – SECURITY AND DEFENCE UNION
The Under2 Coalition: how climate protection should work
Interview with Franz Untersteller MdL, Minister of Environment, Climate and the Energy Sector of Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart
Photo: © Stockwerk-Fotodesign, stock.adobe.com
Worldwide determination to achieve the climate targets
renewables at unbeatable cost. So I am virtually certain that emissions will decline in the US despite Trump. He may of course be elected for a second four-year term – but then again he may not. We shall see.
The European: Thank you for explaining your views so clearly. Let me delve a bit deeper: the Under2 Coalition is the first he European: Minister, it is a pleasure to have this opporglobal association and network of subnational and regional tunity to talk with you here in Stuttgart. On the way here, I organisations working on climate change. You and California was listening to a report on the radio about diminishing hopes Governor Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown were the inventors of the of reducing CO2 emissions in the US if Trump is re-elected. But Initiative back in 2015. What are your goals and how do you the report also mentioned legislation in California requiring plan to proceed? solar systems in all new-build construction. Isn’t that a contraFranz Untersteller: Luckily I had the honour to meet Goverdiction? What is your view and how can we achieve the Paris nor Jerry Brown at the opening of the Intersolar event in San climate conference (COP21) targets in spite of Trump? Francisco in 2014. At the time, we were both worried about the Franz Untersteller: Trump is certainly not of help when it comes upcoming 2015 COP21 conference. I broached the idea that to protecting the climate, but his importance should not be the international community could get together at subnational overestimated. Alternative energies are up and running in level to put evidence-based North America and are rapidly political pressure on national gathering momentum. A dozen governments. Jerry Brown was states and provinces, including receptive to the idea and so we California, Ontario and WashFranz Untersteller decided that Baden Württemington State, have made a very has been the Minister of the Environment, Climate Protection berg and California should set strong commitment to combating and the Energy Sector of the State of Baden-Württemberg the ball rolling. We did so in 2015 climate change by implementing since 2011. Born in 1957, he studied town and country and hoped to drum up enough effective measures, as have many planning in Nürtingen-Geislingen and Columbia, graduating support for our initiative before large cities such as New York, in 1982. Having worked for many years for the Öko-Institut in the Paris conference in DecemSan Francisco and Los Angeles. Freiburg, he became a member of the Baden-Württemberg ber 2015. The governor said we Ultimately, the choice between State parliament in 2006 where he was deputy leader of should aim for 100 members of energy production technologies the Green Party from 2006 to 2011. He founded Under2 the Under2 Coalition. I thought that protect or damage the climate Coalition together with the Governor of California Edward that was bit too optimistic, but depends on cost. In California, G. Brown in 2015. he turned out to be right! electricity can be generated from
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