From climate policy pioneers to climate policy leaders? The examples of the eastern German cities of Potsdam and Rostock

Abstract

We illustrate how the two mid-sized post-socialist eastern German cities Potsdam and Rostock have managed to become climate pioneers, despite being located in regions that have been reluctant with regard to climate action. Drawing on municipal documentation and fieldwork interviews, we show how favorable and interrelated conditions concerning a city's socio-demographic, socio-economic, and particularly political situation were more important for progressive climate action than both cities' embeddedness in their respective regions. We also show how the absence of external ambitions and mayoral support hindered Potsdam and Rostock from making the leap from a pioneer to a leader.

Energy Efficient Reconstruction of Damaged Mass Housing Estates in Ukraine: Theoretical Aspects and German Practice

“…Such strategies are needed at the first stage of modernization, and further steps should include the gradual introduction of renewable energy sources according to the European Green Deal, which is already happening in developed countries such as Germany, Denmark, and others. The comprehensive projects aimed to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in mass housing estates in Germany were developed, for example, for Potsdam-Drewitz [18], Jena-Lobeda [19], estate in Obstallee in Berlin-Spandau [20]. These projects include implementation of energy efficiency on the level of neighborhoods as well as at the level of individual residential and non-residential buildings -such as Oskar-Meißner-School in Potsdam-Drewitz.…”

Matching forerunner cities: Climate policy in Turku, Groningen, Rostock, and Potsdam

“…Turku as well as Groningen applied and were selected by the EU for the EU “Mission on 100 Smart and Climate‐Neutral Cities”. Both German cities show a more national orientation, but they have been successful in competitive national bids and received awards for their climate policy efforts (see Haupt, Kern, et al 2022; Otto et al, 2021). However, Table 1 also reveals a few weaknesses of our selected cities, namely Groningen's privatized utilities and Turku's underdeveloped civil engagement.…”

“…The city wants to be a forerunner (Municipality of Groningen, 2018) and has become an important player in the on‐going knowledge sharing between Dutch cities. Rostock and Potsdam are two climate policy forerunners from East Germany (Haupt, Kern, et al 2022). Both succeeded in a competitive tender process to participate in the “Master plan” funding program ( Masterplan 100% Klimaschutz ) that supports the development of ambitious mitigation strategies.…”

“…Since these regions offer little to no support and guidance to municipalities willing to act on climate change, it is hard for both to find partners for collaboration within these regions. Thus, both cities have financed significant parts of their climate activities (e.g., the development of their mitigation and adaptation strategies) through national funding schemes and are active in nationally oriented networks that offer opportunities to exchange experiences with other forerunner cities (Haupt, Kern, et al, 2022).…”