Federal Nature Conservation Criticizes Bavarian Environmental Policy – Bavaria

Nevertheless, the Federation for Nature Conservation (BN) draws a positive balance for the past year. Nature and environmental protection is not currently the top priority for the population, said BN state representative Martin Geilhufe in Munich on Monday. This is due to the poor economic situation in Germany and the uncertain political conditions worldwide. Nevertheless, he continues to see “great interest and commitment to our vital issues.” Even in such times, nature and environmental protection are “part of the solution, not the problem,” said Geilhufe.

Despite the crisis, the number of BN members rose again – by around 2,000 since the previous year to now 268,000 members and supporters. According to the announcement, one of the most important BN initiatives in 2024 was the start of the wildcat project. In addition, numerous renaturation measures are underway on bodies of water and moors. The hands-on projects “Hedgehog Challenge” and the squirrel and bumblebee app are also popular.

SZ Bayern on Whatsapp

:News from the Bayern editorial team – subscribe now on Whatsapp

From Aschaffenburg to Berchtesgaden: The SZ Bayern team is on the road for you throughout the Free State. This way if you would like to receive stories, news and background information directly on your mobile phone.

With many of these activities, the BN implements state obligations to preserve nature. The deputy BN state chairwoman Beate Rutkowski criticized Bavaria’s environmental policy. “Unfortunately, the importance of nature and environmental protection for the Bavarian state government appears to be continuing to decline,” she said. This year there are climate-related flood events.

“The fact that Prime Minister Markus Söder links compliance with the climate target with nuclear power shows that he has said goodbye to the goal of climate neutrality by 2040,” said Rutkowski. This is a fatal sign, as the expansion of wind power in Bavaria is still progressing slowly: only four new systems went into operation this year.

Rutkowski also announced a protest against the gas drilling plans on Ammersee supported by Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters). The BN sees itself, especially in species protection, as a “corrective policy that is sometimes not legally compliant”. Rutkowski assumes that the BN will stop the newly imposed wolf regulation in court in 2025. She also criticized the Union’s efforts to abolish the collective action law. The BN celebrates the fact that the state government wants to implement the water cent as an interim success. The association has been calling for this levy and its exclusive use for water protection for a long time.