6 Years of Climate Emergency in Erlangen – Film Screening and Discussion on July 1
On May 29, 2019, the city council of Erlangen declared climate emergency. In doing so, it followed an initiative by local civil society and joined a global movement. In light of the insufficient progress of national, European and international climate policy, the goal was to make consistent use of the municipal scope for action.
For years, Erlangen did indeed appear to take on a pioneering role. With the “Climate Awakening Erlangen”, which was launched in November 2020, a comprehensive process began to concretize and implement the self-imposed goal: climate neutrality by 2030 in the municipality. One key measure was the establishment of a citizens’ council, whose randomly drawn members developed measures for the climate transition in the period from March 2022 to September 2022.
The documentary film Zusammen – Ist DAS der Weg aus der Klimakrise? by Ronja and Niklas von Wurmb-Seibel provides a unique insight into this participatory process. The filmmakers talk to the people behind the process and shed light on their hopes and the challenges that arose.
The Chair of Comparative Politics hosts a screening of the film on July 1, 2025 from 5 to 7 p.m. (s.t.). In the subsequent discussion with participants from science, city administration and civil society, the film will be contextualized and the progress made so far in Erlangen will be critically reflected upon. Where does Erlangen stand today – six years after the climate emergency resolution? Against the backdrop of the current budget crisis in Erlangen, this question seems particularly relevant and sheds light on the challenging conditions of local climate policy in Germany. The event will take place in the Physiology lecture hall (room 00.012), Universitätsstr. 17, Erlangen.
The panelists are:
- Sabine Bock, Head of Environment and Climate Protection of the City of Erlangen
- Dr. Manfred Miosga, Chair of Urban and Regional Development at the University of Bayreuth (tbc)
- Selim Küçükkaya, research associate at the FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg
- Christian Lange, former activist at Fridays For Future Erlangen
The event will be moderated by Prof. Dr. Sandra Eckert from the Chair of Comparative Politics and is being organized in cooperation with the Green Office of FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg and Energiewende ER(H)langen.