Mr Kraus,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A big welcome to Hamburg for this international congress dealing with a topic that is important to all of us.

We are looking at Future Megacities in Action”. Is it appropriate if we feel this applies to Hamburg? In one sense, no; although Hamburg is a big city, we do not qualify as a megacity. But Hamburg is growing and will approach the 1.9  million mark in the next ten years. Five million people live in the metropolitan region of Hamburg.

In another sense, yes: we do feel that it applies to Hamburg, because we are permanently in action”, which includes our concern for today’s topic in the narrower sense, namely the issue of climate change and how large cities need to react to it.

Despite all their differences, 21st century cities numbering more than a million inhabitants have one thing in common: there is an obvious trend towards the big city it is happening in most parts of the world and at breakneck speed.

Why is that so? Because to millions of migrants from rural regions in the city’s hinterland, or from neighbouring or even distant countries, the modern metropolis holds out the promise of a better life. Because in cities, new ideas about the future of society arise first.

Of course, metropolitan regions with ten million inhabitants or more face enormous challenges - far greater than those confronting a city like Hamburg - in terms of transport and infrastructure, public facilities, social services, internal security, environmental impacts and much else besides. And yet, in all cases the same thing holds true: the ideas that will affect us in future are born in cities.

And especially in port cities, like ours. And, for example, like the three cities in South America that I should like to talk about in a moment. Port cities are traditionally vibrant places of exchange, not only of goods, but also of ideas and know-how.

In a nutshell: big cities are fascinating láboratories of how societies work. But of course cities also have responsibilities, especially in relation to the environmental aspects of growth. In 2011 Hamburg was European Green Capital, although that is not the only reason why we take this challenge personally.

Cities play a key role in the conservation of resources and energy. Climate change calls for two strategies: mitigation and adaptation. Already, we are told, cities account for some 80 percent of total consumption of resources, although they only cover three per cent of the surface of the Earth.

Obviously, one must concede that cities, as bases for industry, trade and commerce, also provide goods and services for other regions. The statistics therefore tell a different story if the polluter pays” principle is applied.

Fundamentally, the density of building and population in a city is less damaging to the climate and environment than suburban sprawl.

However, ladies and gentlemen, we are not talking about statistics, but about our global and regional future. On the global scale, who amongst us can play what role in this matter, who might set an example, and for whom?

A few weeks ago, I was talking about this very question during a flight. Air travel is an environmental topic in its own right, but in this case it was the only possible form of transport. I had just experienced for myself how fascinating large metropolises can be - in this case Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Montevideo in South America - and seen that climate change is a big issue and a problem there too. 

On the return flight I talked about the implications with one of Germany’s best-known climate researchers, Hans von Storch, who works in the Helmholtz Centre in nearby Geesthacht. He explained his thinking on one aspect, which I found very accurate:

He believes climate protection policies will not work unless the measures that we in Germany and other industrial nations have embarked upon - and we have more in the pipeline - are the kind of measures that encourage others to follow suit. 

The professor’s view is that it is imperative  to set an example: by developing new technologies which make emission reduction a financially attractive option and are suited for éxport to other parts of the world.

I totally agree with that. One reason I can say that, is because it describes the environmental and energy policy concepts that Hamburg has long since adopted.

The climate - to put it bluntly - doesn’t care where carbon dioxide or other climate killers are emitted. But we should care, because our greatest chances of success in the battle against pollution are where the greatest potential to reduce or eliminate harmful emissions is to be found.

Sometimes, but not always, that will be on our own doorstep. But if we want to clean up other people’s front yards, we must first obtain their permission. Or, even better, we must offer convincing examples of how successful climate protection can be, and what economic benefits and opportunities it can produce.

Slightly tongue in cheek, but in all seriousness, I ask you this - how does the value of negotiations which end in the parties cajoling each other to sign undertakings and make compromises compare with examples of best practices which speak for themselves? Convincing examples that make everyone say, yes, we ought to try that ourselves.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I’ve nothing against international negotiations, although sometimes they are heavy going and it often takes a long time before all participants have agreed to a set of minimum aims. But whenever efforts to protect the environment and the climate cease to be all doom and gloom and do produce crucial successes, it is due to the interaction of both strategies: negotiation and getting on with it”, and to show what can be achieved.

Major advances have been made; to name just one example, the steady process of switching Europe’s mótorized road vehicles to the use of catalytic converters and lead-free petrol started in the 1990s. As a result, despite a continued rise in traffic volumes, the absolute levels of nitrogen oxide emissions have fallen. Unless that had happened, our forests would now be steppes, or cars banned from cities altogether.

But we want to show, and must prove, that with the aid of top quality technology, economic development and growth can function hand in hand with environmental conservation. The planned next chapter in the modernization of transport, by the way, is about electromobility, expansion of local passenger train services and issues of intermodal transportation. 

We have taken a decision to order, as of 2020, no more buses for Hamburg’s roads if their emissions are harmful to the climate. We are testing battery powered concepts and hydrogen hybrid engines and powertrains. We shall work together only with firms that submit a financially competitive offer. All other companies are out of the running. One more thing: Hamburg companies are the biggest customers for new buses in all Germany.

In my view the crucial contribution we in Germany and Hamburg can make to breathing life into words such as international cooperation” and solidarity” is to develop marketable engineering solutions that can be used anywhere in the world.

That also applies to Germany’s project to radically reform its energy generation policy, in which Hamburg is playing a major role. As you know, this means, initially, that we gradually and finally close down our nuclear power plants and replace the lost capacity as far as possible with power from renewable energies and energy conversion methods.

This is an enormous challenge and we must get our energy turnaround” right - so that our energy-hungry economy can continue to operate as before and no ordinary citizens end up sitting in the dark with no television to watch.

Hamburg places a great deal of trust in wind energy, and is the national capital of wind energy. The necessary companies are here. Work on current issues, such as storage or immediate consumption of wind power in plants operating on the power to heat” or power to gas” principle is progressing in Hamburg.

But there is another reason we need to get energy reform right: because only success will make our turnaround a role model. And that would be a good thing. Because to start with - as we know - many countries are sceptical of the idea, especially since the problems associated with nuclear power are not really about its effects on the climate. 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Future megacities” is, as you know, one of the funding priorities of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research. In this context nine international research projects are concerned with sustainable urban development - and with the issue of how climate-efficient structures might be established in urban growth centres.

Tomorrow the city’s Chief Planning Officer, Jörn Walter, will be speaking about Urban development in Hamburg” with an introduction to excursions to IBA and HafenCity. I do hope that many of you will find an opportunity to visit these parts of Hamburg, where we have translated some of our thinking on the topic into specific projects and buildings. Adaptation to climate change is one issue here and the site is well chosen, because people living on our shores of the Elbe River know from long experience what rising water levels can mean.

I wish all of you a pleasant stay in Hamburg and an insightful congress.