Environmental justice in Berlin

Environmental justice is a socio-ecological bracket that is moving more and more people in cities and countries. Especially in times when it can no longer be a question of either environmental and climate protection or social justice, concepts and ideas that combine the two in an integrative and organic way are taking on a new significance. The concept of environmental justice, first put into practice in Germany by the Environmental Justice Atlas in Berlin, addresses these challenges and establishes a link between social status, health burdens, environmental quality and quality of life. The Berlin Environmental Justice Atlas provides methodological approaches and tools for the nationwide introduction of environmental justice instruments as a basis for a neighborhood-based integrated environmental and social policy. How can these be put into practice? How can environmental justice be anchored as a guideline for ecological and social neighborhood development in Berlin’s districts and at Senate level? Which model projects already exist and which are planned?

The aim of the specialist congress “Environmental justice in Berlin – from concept to practice” organized by UfU was to discuss these and other questions with various stakeholders from science, politics and civil society and to bring together existing or planned strategies, projects and measures for environmental justice in Berlin. After three years of intensive discussions at the level of the districts and district parliaments as well as the Senate Administration and the House of Representatives, the congress was intended to provide a kind of public interim balance sheet on environmental justice measures. The approach of environmental justice should be discussed in public and then further anchored in interdepartmental strategies and measures at state and district level and, in accordance with the coalition agreement, used in a targeted manner in the sense of environmentally friendly urban development in order to promote both ecological and social development of urban districts.

The complete congress documentation is available for download here: Kongressdokumentation_Umweltgerechtigkeit