Berlin (dpa) – In an effort to promote natural climate protection, plans have been introduced to restore more marshlands and manage forests in a more natural way. The Federal Government has now approved a draft law to this effect. The action programme includes 69 measures across 10 areas of activity. Greater protection is to be provided not only for natural environments such as marshlands, forests, wild landscapes, meadows, seas and coastal areas, but also green spaces in cities, towns and villages. The plan is to make these areas more resilient in order to help achieve the national climate protection goals, as they bind CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it over long periods of time. They also act as buffers during extreme weather events caused by climate change, storing flood waters and reducing temperatures in times of drought.
The Federal Ministry for the Environment plans to implement some of the measures immediately. This includes using spaces in municipal projects so as to promote climate protection and biological diversity. Four billion euros are to be allocated to implementing the programme up to 2026.