The City of Biel believes it is on track to meet its climate targets despite the obstacles
The city of Biel is well on its way to becoming climate-neutral in its administrative operations by 2040 and across the entire city by 2050. However, to achieve these goals in the long term, public participation is becoming increasingly crucial.
In light of ongoing global warming, the City of Biel has been pursuing a comprehensive climate strategy since 2020. At that time, the City Council adopted the relevant climate regulations. Now, for the first time, the city has published a report taking stock of developments to date – with data-related delays of around two years.
The key finding from the Department of Construction, Energy and the Environment is that Biel is essentially on track to meet its targets. Greenhouse gas emissions have fallen steadily in recent years and are currently slightly below the reduction pathway set out in the climate regulations. According to emissions monitoring, emissions in 2023 amounted to around 174,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents – a decrease of approximately 34 per cent compared to 2010. At the same time, the share of renewable energy in total energy consumption rose to 39 per cent.
Looking to the future, however, it is emphasised that further reductions will be more challenging. Particular challenges exist in urban buildings as well as in the transport and heating sectors.
Furthermore, emissions from transport and heating are falling only slowly. The share of electric vehicles, currently at 13 per cent, is set to rise. Moreover, many fossil fuel heating systems are still being installed, which, due to their long service life, jeopardise the achievement of climate neutrality by 2050.
Against this backdrop, the city emphasises the central role of the public: the general consensus is that climate targets can only be achieved through their active engagement and the use of existing funding and advisory services.