Rhineland-Palatinate’s Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) proposes amending tenancy law to better protect tenants from heat. She could imagine making it easier for tenants to equip apartments with air conditioning or sun blinds, she told the Rheinische Post. For structural changes, clear and practical rules for tenants and landlords are needed.
Federal Building Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD) stressed on the ARD and ZDF morning magazine that stricter heat protection requirements in the Building Code do not contradict faster housing construction. Heat-appropriate urban development is a matter of good planning, for example through shady places and trees. With good planning, this is “not that much more expensive,” only retrofitting becomes “really expensive.”
Both ministers consider it necessary to anchor climate protection as a joint task of the federal government, states, and municipalities in the Basic Law. “This would make it easier for the federal government to permanently support states and municipalities with heat protection,” said Hubig. The Union has so far been skeptical; State Minister Philipp Amthor sees no need for a constitutional amendment.
The cabinet will address the topic of heat and climate adaptation next week at Schloss Neuhardenberg. A constitutional amendment would require a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag and Bundesrat, for which the coalition would need votes from the Greens and the Left.
Source: Tagesschau
