Freiburg: Germany’s Eco-Town Flagship

Earlier this week I wrote a particularly winging post, complaining about lack of UK government action on tackling climate change and arguing that many governments merely see green issues as an excuse to raise tax revenues.

Today I would like to look at a situation where the reverse is true, visiting the Germany eco-town of Freiburg .

At first glance, those Germans may appear to have limited green credentials. Fearful of potential impact on their high performance car industry, Germany has lobbied aggressively in recent months to delay new EU legislation aimed at improving vehicle fuel economy. Germany is also home to six of Europe’s ten most polluting power stations and has been keeping quiet about plans to build 24 additional coal powered plants.

However, in terms of concrete and practical actions aimed at making a real difference to the environment, this nation of passionate recyclers, high speed railway builders, and renewable energy nuts appear to be way out in front.

• » See also: #4 Copenhagen, Denmark: Great Bicycle City Photo Tour
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The proof of this can be seen in the eco-town of Freiburg on the South Western edge of Germany’s Black Forest. What’s particularly unusual about Freiburg is that unlike many eco-towns, which have been built from scratch for energy efficiency, Freiburg was established in the 12th century and it’s green status is simply the result of sound planning and sustainable practices.

The German government’s building and home maintenance policies are heavily geared to minimising impact on the environment, with substantial loans and subsidies available for green building technologies. Home investments aimed at reducing CO2 emissions can be offset by 30 year loans, with rebates of up to 20% if certain efficiency levels are met.

Freiburg has taken maximum advantage of these policies, and the local government (where the Green party have up to 40% of the popular vote in some areas) has adopted a resolution which permits construction of new buildings only if they adhere to certain “low energy” specifications. The net result is that whilst a typical British home uses 220 kilowatt hours of energy per year per square meter of floor space, newer homes in Freiburg use only 15.

The city has an extensive public transport network, allowing the centre of the city to be completely car free, and the residents of the city are well known for their love of cycling and recycling. The result is a city where life is pleasant, living is good, and costs are low.

Reducing our environmental footprint doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t require billions in additional taxes - it just requires a little ingenuity and some common sense.

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