Rethinking participation:
Our path to a climate-neutral city

Dialogue Forum in cooperation with HM:UniverCity, the innovation hub of the University of Applied Sciences Munich

5 December 2024, 6 p.m. at the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Applied Sciences Munich

In view of the ongoing global warming, climate protection is the order of the day. The city of Munich has set itself an ambitious goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2035. How can we create new social alliances to achieve a climate-friendly world? What forms of participation are conceivable? These were the topics discussed by the panel guests at the Dialogue Forum, which took place in cooperation with HM:UniverCity, the innovation network of the Munich University of Applied Sciences.

Dialogue Forum at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich — The Dialogue Forum took place that evening at the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich.

In the coalition agreement of the "Ampel" government, participation, i.e. the involvement of citizens in design and decision-making processes, was explicitly laid down. "In contrast to volunteering, citizen participation contributes to political decision-making in most cases," explained Prof. Martina Wegner, Professor of Applied Social Sciences at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. Examples of this are citizens' councils or opportunities to object in planning approval procedures. She added that civic engagement can also be used to identify issues that have not yet been sufficiently taken up by society at large. "Volunteering, on the other hand, is a voluntary commitment that actively helps to shape society, for example in neighbourhood projects such as urban gardening, as a trainer in a sports club or in the volunteer fire brigade," she continued.

In contrast to volunteering, civic participation in most cases contributes to political decision-making.

Prof. Martina Wegner

Professor of Applied Social Science, Munich University of Applied Sciences

Flagship projects of participation

Two examples of citizen participation in the Munich district of Neuperlach were presented at the Dialogue Forum as part of the project "Creating NEBourhoods Together - Neuperlach". "Neuperlach Eats Green" offers a social meeting place for citizens by creating community gardens and provides information about local food chains. The other project, "Studio Animal-Aided Design", develops ideas and solutions for promoting urban biodiversity together with local stakeholders. "Animal-Aided Design" is a method of integrating wild animals into architecture, open space and urban planning. "Creating NEBourhoods Together - Neuperlach" is one of five flagship projects within the framework of the New European Bauhaus (NEB), which will be funded by the EU until 2025 to ensure climate-friendly, integrative and livable living and working in the city.

There are many ways to express your sense of values, you just have to dare to do so.

Alexander Rossner

Head of the cooperative sustainability and climate protection consultancy Zukunftswerk eG

"Many people find themselves in a field of tension between environmental awareness and external circumstances, for example at work, which does not reflect this sense of values. This leads to frustration," explained Alexander Rossner, a lawyer and head of the cooperative sustainability and climate protection consultancy Zukunftswerk eG. "There are many ways to express your sense of values, you just have to dare to do so." Rossner himself is involved in climate protection and sustainability on a voluntary basis and founded Zukunftswerk eG in 2012 to initiate changes in society. The desire for change is independent of political conditions or the social system. ""We are all old enough to take control of our own lives and ask ourselves the question, "What makes me happy, what do I strive for?" rather than, "How can I make as much money as possible?"" says Rossner.

Involving marginalised groups of society

Wegner pointed out that not everyone can follow this approach. "What about the parts of society that are marginalised?" she asked. She said that our society has now reached a level of inequality that is difficult to perceive in one's own bubble. However, it is extremely important to include people in precarious circumstances.

Maximilian Leuprecht, head of the "Climate Protection and Energy" division at the City of Munich's Department for Climate and Environmental Protection, agreed that the help of all residents was needed to achieve the goal of climate neutrality in Munich by 2035. "Many environmental issues relate to personal lifestyle. You have to approach them sensitively if you don't want to be accused of paternalism," he explained. The neighbourhood approach is a good way of getting beyond the bubble of high earners.

Find out on site what people's wishes are

The neighbourhood, as the link between overarching planning and building-related measures for greater sustainability, offers the opportunity to combine urban development and social neighbourhood. "When we are already in the neighbourhood, it also makes sense to get in touch with the citizens and ask what they want." Are there mobility services that can be shared with others, how can I get involved in the neighbourhood, which areas can be unsealed, all of this can be discussed locally. This is how you can find out what the actual needs are, beyond energy and transformation issues.

For Leon Schmid of the Fridays for Future climate movement, it is important that activists like him not only demonstrate on the streets, but also get involved in party politics in order to make a difference. "If you then talk directly to people and see where their basic interests match yours, you can also make progress at that level," he said. He called for strong climate protection measures, otherwise the urgency of action would not reach the population. "We have to communicate clearly that we are heading for a climate crisis and need to act quickly," he demanded.

We have to communicate clearly that we are heading towards a climate crisis and need to act quickly.

Leon Schmid

Fridays For Future

Social consensus instead of division

"Projects like urban gardening are a good way of raising people's awareness," said Wegner. However, since this is not enough, certain things need to be regulated. In addition, society must be careful not to allow itself to be divided. When too many different currents collide, it becomes difficult to find a social consensus.

If you don't know the harbour you want to sail into, no wind is the right wind for you.

Maximilian Leuprecht

Head of the Climate Protection and Energy Division, City of Munich

Opinions differed when it came to setting the goals. "If the goals are too ambitious, it tends to be demotivating," said Rossner. That's why you should focus on sub-goals such as mobility, nutrition, heating, electricity or consumption in order to achieve the overall goal. Leuprecht countered that the goal must be ambitious. He said that this is the only way to ensure that all investment projects with a longer lead time are already geared towards it. Or to put it another way: "If you don't know which port you want to sail to, no wind is the right wind for you." It is important, however, that the city creates incentive programmes with the aim of changing individual behaviour. Any hardships that arise must be mitigated by subsidies. "We try to be close to the people and find offers for the different walks of life," he said.

A cautious approach is important

"Change is difficult and takes time," Rossner said. Of course, it is important to take people with you on the path to transformation. Municipalities, cooperatives, the neighbourhood approach and participation are good ways of doing this. But you shouldn't rush things, you should take your time, because "the inertia in the face of a specifically recognised misfortune is greater than the yearning for the unknown," he warned. Those who do not recognise this can just as well abandon all their ambitions. "The community is the place where we find new, more sustainable systems," Wegner was convinced. It is more promising not to impose something from above, but to find new solutions with the participation of the people. Every individual counts and the support of voluntary and civil society structures is needed.

We are all called upon to take our future into our own hands. As the evening showed, without participation, we will not achieve the goal of climate neutrality, or only much later. However, we must ensure that all social groups are included and that there is a lively exchange between the generations, between business, science and urban policy.

Alexander Rossner in dialogue with some guests — Alexander Rossner in discussion with guests after the podium discussion.

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Panel guests

Maximilian Leuprecht
Head of Climate Protection and Energy Division, City of Munich

Alexander Rossner
Head of the cooperative sustainability and climate protection consultancy Zukunftswerk eG

Leon Schmid
Fridays for Future

Prof. Martina Wegner
Professor of Applied Social Sciences, Munich University of Applied Sciences, main topics including: local government consultancy and development, civic engagement

Moderation

Paju Bertram
Co-Creation Managerin, HM:UniverCity