Spranger justifies plans to renovate police stations
Berlin's Senator of the Interior Iris Spranger has defended her intention to use the so-called special climate protection fund to pay for the energy-efficient renovation of fire stations and police stations. "I invite critics to take a look at the questionable state of the buildings in terms of energy efficiency," the SPD politician said on Wednesday. "Not to mention the need for refurbishment beyond that."
"Why do you think we also want to renovate fire and police stations to make them more energy efficient? Because there is an urgent need for these properties," Spranger continued. "We want to be climate-neutral in Berlin well before 2045."
"It is obvious that we will handle the special climate fund responsibly and this is underpinned by the fact that we are also focusing on the state's own contribution to climate protection," argued the senator.
"Many people don't even know that we employ around 33,000 people in the Berlin fire department and the Berlin police force." This alone, but also the round-the-clock operation of departments, causes significantly higher energy consumption than in other areas.
Of the 357 buildings for the police and 197 for the fire department in the state of Berlin's real estate portfolio, 353 need to be renovated in terms of energy efficiency - almost two thirds. "To see no need for action here is evidence of ignorance and a fundamental rejection of those who stand up for security in the capital rather than real concern in the climate crisis," said Spranger. "We need to invest here."
There had already been criticism of the Interior Administration's plans to use funds from the special fund for the renovation of police stations in September, when Spranger spoke about this in the Interior Committee. Environmental and climate protection organizations such as Fridays for Future and the Bund für Umwelt- und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) recently demanded in an open letter to the Senate that the funds from the special fund should be used exclusively for climate protection and climate adaptation.
Spranger acknowledged the need for environmental policy actions, stating, "We need to invest in renovating our fire and police stations to make them more energy efficient, considering the significant energy consumption these operations entail." Moreover, she emphasized the importance of aligning Berlin's environmental policy with its climate goals, stating, "We want to be climate-neutral in Berlin well before 2045, and this includes our public buildings such as police stations."
Source: www.dpa.com
