Sustainability expert Michael Kopatz advocates stricter environmental rules – then the changed behavior will follow by itself.
“The consumer has the power.” “It’s up to us to change behavior.” “But who wants to do without?” Such arguments are often heard when it comes to environmental protection. Michael Kopatz from the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy sees it differently: In his book “End with eco-morality. How we save the world without constantly thinking about it” (Verlag oekom) he makes many suggestions on how politics should do it to make us better people.
The founder of the concept of “ecoroutine” advocates changing the situation – then people’s behavior will change by themselves. And he advocates measures that are introduced gradually, that increase acceptance. As an example, he cites stricter regulations for chicken keeping: If these were tightened annually, the consumer would hardly notice it.
It is similar in transport policy, says Kopatz. “Nobody changes their car routine when local transport is more expensive and slower. Only city and traffic planners can create the conditions.” Only with additional bike paths, attractive public transport and the limitation of car space would it be possible to make the switch. This requires intelligent solutions such as parking fees, which inform the machines that the income will directly benefit the improvement of public transport. Kopatz calls this “PayBack”.
The sustainability researcher finds the argument that transport policy must be discussed “ideology-free” absurd: “For over 40 years, politics and administration have pursued the model of the car-friendly city. Many planners still do it today. asks Kopatz. No less irritating for him is the demand from the car lobby that cars, bicycles and buses should have equal rights: “Is it fair that around 80 percent of the traffic area is used exclusively by cars?” And is it acceptable that at least one cyclist is killed on the street in Germany every day? It has been shown that inner-city shops benefit from more bicycle traffic.
According to the expert, the necessary measures are on the table: speed limits, expansion of parking fee zones, conversion of car parking spaces into parking spaces for cyclists or in green spaces, bus lanes at least in front of traffic lights and cheap tickets for public transport. Kopatz also advocates a moratorium on the expansion of car infrastructures – and those for air traffic – based on the example of Singapore: there are even limits on the number of cars registered. A new one may only be registered if an old one is deregistered. And only for a high fee. According to Kopatz, the high fee for private cars is also in Denmark – and is now considered normal there.
Event notice: On Tuesday, December 7th, from 6 p.m., Michael Kopatz will be online as a guest at the “Sustainable City” theme evening at the Robert Jungk Library in Salzburg. Registration: www.jungk-bibliothek.org/anmeldung