Schneider: Special Fund Sufficient for Heat Protection – States and Municipalities Have a Duty

The minister also made clear that responsibility for heat protection measures lies with the states and municipalities. The federal government can fund individual model projects and supports the states and municipalities within the scope of its competencies; however, permanent financing by the federal government would require an amendment to the Basic Law. Schneider announced his intention to secure co-financing in the coming years through the ongoing budget process: "arbeite gerade bei der Haushaltsaufstellung daran, dass wir auch in den nächsten Jahren das mitfinanzieren können."

Responsibility of the States and Municipalities

The background to the interview was the past weekend with temperatures of 40 degrees and more in many parts of Germany. Schneider pointed to the already noticeable consequences of climate change and said: "dass wir im Klimawandel sind, dass sich unsere Bedingungen, was die Umwelt betrifft, verändern ... Es wird heißer, es gibt Starkregenfälle und es wird schwerer, sich als Mensch in diesen Bedingungen zu bewegen, zu arbeiten und auch zu wirtschaften."

The minister also commented on the climate targets of the federal government. The climate protection program presented by him provides for reducing emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases by at least 65 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. He expressed confidence: "Und das werden wir bis zum Jahre 2030 auch erreichen. Sollte es da eine Abweichung geben, werden wir nachsteuern." Schneider also stressed: "Es müsse alles dafür getan werden, den Klimawandel aufzuhalten."

Climate Targets and Criticism

The climate movement Fridays for Future criticized the federal government's stance. On the eve of the broadcast, the organization had accused the federal government of not taking the reality of the climate crisis seriously and called for effective protection against extreme weather events.

The urgency of the issue is also being pointed out internationally. WHO Director-General Tedros wrote on the platform X: "Wohnungen, Arbeitsplätze und Schulen seien noch nicht auf extreme Temperaturen ausgelegt." He called on European states to take more comprehensive precautionary measures.

International Context

Schneider also pointed to ongoing efforts by the federal government to advance heat protection together with the states and municipalities. He reiterated that the existing funds were sufficient to finance the upcoming tasks and announced that the federal government would continue to co-finance these efforts in the coming years.

With a view to everyday municipal life, the minister made clear that operators of public buildings could access existing programs at short notice. Schneider indicated that the federal government intended to continue securing the necessary funds in the upcoming budgets.

The report was broadcast on June 29, 2026 on Deutschlandfunk and distributed as a dpa dispatch. The debate over the financing of heat protection thus found its way into nationwide reporting just a few days after the first widespread heat wave weekend of 2026.