German Cities' Association Calls for Billions in Climate Adaptation Funding

What is being demanded are billions in investment in heat prevention measures: additional greening, shaded squares, cool rooms for vulnerable groups, an adequate number of drinking water fountains, and the expansion of early warning systems. The German Weather Service has recorded an increase in particularly hot days for years, which further increases the urgency from the municipalities' perspective.

What is being demanded

Schuchardt criticized that the funds provided by the federal government so far are far from sufficient to finance the tasks. Programs for urban greening and heat resilience are often underfunded or already exhausted. Without a continuation and a significant increase in federal funds, cities and municipalities risk being unable to carry out the necessary transformation.

The Städtetag also pointed to social aspects: people in cramped apartments, the homeless, older citizens, and the chronically ill are particularly affected. Cool places and a functioning warning chain are absent in many neighborhoods. The association is therefore calling for a federal-state program that finances heat prevention on a permanent and predictable basis.

At its core, Schuchardt said, it is about transforming cities so that they function even in hot summers. This includes greening and shading concepts, a climate-resilient transport infrastructure, and better staffing of municipal health services. Without corresponding funds, adaptation to global warming will not succeed in most municipalities.

Political Context

The association announced that it will bring the demand into the upcoming budget negotiations. A significantly stronger federal contribution to the costs is also expected, since many of the required measures fall within the remit of the states and municipalities, but cannot be financed by them alone.

The discussion comes at a time when the federal government and the states are negotiating the future direction of climate policy. The Städtetag advocates treating climate adaptation as a field of action on an equal footing with climate protection. Otherwise, there is a risk of an imbalance between the prevention and the management of global warming.

Experts have repeatedly pointed out recently that temperatures in German cities have risen significantly since the 1990s and that the number of hot days is increasing. Against this backdrop, municipalities see adaptation to heat as a permanent task, not a one-off project.