Global warming - Honorary citizen Otto calls for more commitment to climate protection
Hamburg's Honorary Citizen Michael Otto called for more engagement for climate protection in the red-green Senate at the Hamburg Economic Journalists Club (CHW) on Tuesday evening. Despite announcements, there is still no climate strategy, the entrepreneur stated. The city could also strive to be climate neutral by 2040 instead of 2045, Otto added. This would put Hamburg in a good light. In his own company, the Otto Group with around 38,500 employees, environmental protection has been a corporate goal since 1986, according to his statements.
Likewise, he expressed dissatisfaction with the progress regarding the long-discussed harbor bypass and the replacement of the Köhlbrand Bridge. "I hope (...), that we will begin building, because we really have bottlenecks in the hinterland traffic." He also wished for better construction site coordination, as "what bothers the citizen and the taxpayer are construction sites where no one is working."
Regarding the upcoming state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg and the high polling numbers for the AfD, Otto stated that one should not only criticize the party but engage with it and address the topics it raises, such as migration and Islamism. This has been neglected for a long time, according to Otto. "We should not hide such topics in the democratic middle but rather openly, fairly, and objectively discuss and find solutions, so that they are not just topics of radicals."
Otto rejected demands for a shorter working week. "I have always had the impression that when things go badly, when one has a difficult time, one rolls up one's sleeves and works a little harder, rather than saying: No, I need more free time, and then it will all work out." In light of the skilled labor shortage, the opposite approach should be taken. There should be incentives for working beyond retirement age, the 81-year-old suggested. At least, returning retirees should not have to pay unemployment and pension contributions. "They don't get that money back anyway."
- Michael Otto, the Honorary Citizen of Hamburg, urged the red-green Senate to take more action towards climate protection, criticizing the lack of a stated climate strategy.
- He suggested that Hamburg could strive to become climate neutral by 2040 instead of 2045, a move that would show the world Hamburg's commitment to environmental issues, an objective that has been a corporate goal for the Otto Group since 1986.
- During his speech at the Hamburg Economic Journalists Club (CHW), he also expressed concerns about the progress of the long-discussed harbor bypass and the replacement of the Köhlbrand Bridge.
- In a political context, Otto called for dialogue rather than criticism with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, emphasizing the importance of open, fair, and objective discussions on topics such as migration and Islamism, which have been neglected for a long time according to him.
