German Cities' Vice President Calls for Mandatory Heat Protection

The German Association of Cities (Deutscher Städtetag) is urging that climate protection and heat‑adaptation become statutory duties for municipalities. Vice‑president Uwe Conradt, also mayor of Saarbrücken, argued that current measures are voluntary and underfunded, saying, “Klimaschutz, Klimaanpassung, Hitzevorsorge sind keine kommunalen Pflichtaufgaben.” He noted that many towns lack the co‑financing and staff needed to access existing federal programmes, and called for the government to allocate the necessary funds – “Wer bestellt, bezahlt.”

Conradt highlighted that cities are already developing climate‑adaptation concepts, heat‑action plans and installing drinking fountains, but financial limits caused by historically high municipal deficits hinder further action. He warned that without a clear political framework and adequate funding, the competitiveness of German locations and the attractiveness for investors could suffer.