Berlin vote could turbocharge German capital’s climate plans

Traffic in the German capital Berlin (Markus Schreiber/AP)

Voters in Berlin will go to the polls this weekend to decide on a proposal that would force the city government to drastically ramp up the German capital’s climate goals.

Sunday’s referendum, which has attracted considerable financial support from US-based philanthropists, calls for Berlin to become climate neutral by 2030, meaning that within less than eight years the city would not be allowed to contribute further to global warming.