Today is the worldwide "Car Free Day". The campaign is intended to show that it is possible to do without a car. There are many reasons to leave the car in the garage. Fewer cars produce fewer exhaust gases, noise, climate damage and accidents. The nitrogen dioxide pollution caused by traffic, for example, is one of the causes of air pollution. Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), the new sponsor of the Grüner Strom Label e.V., wants to initiate a traffic turnaround in cities and thus make them more livable. In concrete terms, this means moving away from a lot of automobile traffic and instead toward more bus, rail and bicycle traffic.
The Grüner Strom Label e.V. is also committed to the mobility revolution. The core criterion of the Green Electricity and Green Gas labels is that energy providers support the expansion of renewable energies with a fixed amount per kilowatt hour sold. This has already been used to co-finance more than 1,600 energy transition projects, including projects to promote the mobility transition.
Transport is just one of many issues that DUH addresses. The organization also focuses in particular on the energy sector, which accounts for more than 40 percent of CO2 emissions worldwide and thus plays a key role in the fight against climate change. Just like Grüner Strom Label e.V., DUH sees the urgency in restructuring the energy system and campaigns for a just energy transition in a variety of ways. For example, it mediates in the expansion of the power grid, creates awareness for climate protection in buildings, or supports municipal energy suppliers in setting up and optimizing their climate protection strategies and promotes climate-friendly neighborhood development.
To achieve its goals, DUH mobilizes the public and also speaks uncomfortable truths. In addition, the environmental and consumer protection organization is authorized to prosecute violations of the law, unfair competition and other consumer protection laws. In doing so, DUH not only criticizes conditions that are in need of improvement, but also points out new perspectives and takes active action.
As a sponsoring association, DUH plays a key role in shaping the certification of the Grüner Strom-Labels and Grünes Gas-Labels through its voluntary work in the General Assembly. Changes in the criteria, for example - the most important basis for the content of the labels - must be discussed and approved by all sponsoring associations. In addition to DUH, there are six other sponsoring associations, including leading environmental and consumer associations. More information is available here.
