Weser Report: Are you already heating with a heat pump?
Kathrin Moosdorf: The topic concerns me very much. We are in the process of converting our house to be climate neutral. The heat pump is not in the garden yet, but I am confident that it will be soon.
The heat transition is a big task
So you can easily understand the problems many homeowners are currently facing?
I can very well understand that this phase of transformation and upheaval is keeping people busy. What can happen next with energy-efficient renovation? Which heat sources do we use? These are of course big questions. And some people are probably worried about how they will be able to pay for their own home renovations. The heat transition is a big task.
Despite generous subsidies, many households are hesitant. From the senator’s point of view, does that disappoint you?
First of all, I’m happy that I’ve noticed a big change. Many people use our advisory services, for example in the climate construction center. Nevertheless, there is still uncertainty. That’s why it’s important to me that we explain and be transparent. Of course, we have no time to lose as the climate crisis progresses. In some places I would like us to be quicker when it comes to climate protection. At the same time, it is important that we take people with us.
There is great potential for heating networks
Municipal heat planning is intended to provide planning security. What conclusions did you draw from the report you recently published?
The report primarily showed what great potential we have for heating networks in Bremen and where it could be created. District heating is an important factor here. We have just inaugurated an important district heating connection line. But there is also potential for additional heating networks. Now it’s about bringing this to reliable planning. We will present them at the end of 2025. This means we are half a year faster than the legal requirement. In parallel to the planning, it is important to me that we start implementing it now. There are already many clever approaches to climate-neutral heat supply in Bremen, which we are pushing forward in my department, keyword: district heating, keyword: local heating networks, anergy networks or heat pumps. In the end everything has to fit together.
The map shown is still very rough. What can Bremen households still derive from this?
One can see that there are areas in Bremen that appear suitable for heating networks and that there are areas where individual solutions will probably make sense. It is important: the current report is not a finished plan, it is a basis. I always advise people to take advantage of our advisory services at the Climate Construction Center now. If I now have a broken heater, an air heat pump may now be the right solution. The big message is: There are already good, climate-friendly solutions and something can be done.
Climate protection is a priority for the Senate
The opposition and business representatives accuse the Senate of spending too much money on climate protection on small projects with no measurable impact and at the same time neglecting the expansion of photovoltaic systems on public buildings. How do you see that?
Climate protection is a high priority for this Senate. You can see this in the coalition agreement and in the fact that we want to make Bremen climate neutral by 2038. On the other hand, since the Federal Constitutional Court’s ruling, we have had a changed – one could also say more complicated – reality. We lost a lot of money for climate protection, both at the federal and state level. That slowed us down when we were just getting going. We had to find new approaches. We have often succeeded in doing this.
Kathrin Moosdorf thinks it is important to increase the amount of greenery in the city’s districts – as an adaptation to climate change. Photo: Close
Why is it worth supporting small projects at district level even though it is difficult to measure how much CO2 this will save?
We have to look at what the big issues mean for the people in the districts. For climate protection and adaptation to climate change, it is important that we increase the amount of greenery in the districts, that we have trees, and that we have areas where water can seep away. At the same time, such green places are good for people. There’s something about people when they live in a part of town with lots of greenery. This increases the quality of life. What is also important to me: people want to make a difference. The best place to do this is on your own doorstep, in your own district. This is not Klein, Klein. This is citizen participation. And we see that people are happy to accept such offers.
In order to consolidate its budget, Bremen has reduced the energy standards for building. Is this a wise decision in terms of sustainability?
We have to look at the overall balance of all buildings. Energy-related renovation plays a major role. We need that. I won’t hide the fact that it pains me when we lower standards. What is also important is how we heat our houses in a climate-neutral way. And here, as the responsible senator, I am driving the heat transition forward.
How do you manage to comply with the savings targets that apply to all departments?
After the budgetless period, our department had management measures in the urban area for around two months. At the end of August we were able to lift this again. We have a lot of financial pressure and have to turn over every euro twice. That’s why we’re bringing as much third-party funding to Bremen as possible. Especially with a view to the environment and nature conservation, we were able to bring around ten million euros to Bremen and Bremerhaven from the natural climate protection action program: for trees, for parks, for unsealing and other measures. This puts us at the top nationwide.
