Focus on climate crisis
All articles | More information
Reporting on climate change is one of the major journalistic challenges of our time. The climate crisis is also one of the most important issues of humanity for SPIEGEL. For this reason, we support an international initiative that seeks to take a look this week: "Covering Climate Now" was initiated by the Columbia Journalism Review and the Canadian newspaper "The Nation", with more than 200 media companies around the world, including the Guardian, El País, La Repubblica, The Times of India, Bloomberg or Vanity Fair. SPIEGEL is dedicating the cover story of the current issue to the climate crisis this week and every day pays special attention to mirror.de
Several hundred protesters blocked two entrances to the IAA Motor Show in Frankfurt in the morning. In both places visitors were barred access to the fair, said the Climate Alliance "Sand in gear" with. An IAA spokesman confirmed the errors. "It's all peaceful, the streams of visitors are diverted," he said.
In white suits the protesters held up posters with demands such as "car companies disempowered" and "the road is busy - traffic now". The goal is "to disrupt the course of the IAA with peaceful blocks," it said of the climate protectors. "We are sending out a clear signal against the destructive traffic system for which the world's largest auto show still stands."
Already on Saturday thousands of people had demonstrated before the IAA for a turn to climate-friendly road traffic. About 15,000 people participated in a bicycle rally and a mass demonstration against the International Motor Show, police said. The organizers, an alliance of several environmental associations, estimated the number at 25,000, of which about 18,000 were on the way by bike.
The demonstrators accuse the auto industry of having put too long on climate-damaging combustion engines and SUVs to make sales. They are pushing for an immediate end to internal combustion engines, a departure from gas-guzzling SUVs and a switch to small frugal electric cars.
The criticism was also directed at politics. Priority was given to pedestrian and bicycle traffic, a strong expansion of buses and trains and climate-neutral traffic by 2035. On September 20, the Federal Government's Climate Cabinet plans to present its package of measures.
The IAA opens its doors on Saturday for the general public. It ends next week Sunday. According to the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), around 60,000 visitors came on the first public day. The fair is suffering from exhibitor shrinkage.
The organizer VDA, in which the car manufacturers and suppliers in Germany are united, therefore wants to rethink the concept. A departure of the car show from Frankfurt is not excluded. After internal strife, VDA President Bernhard Mattes had announced his resignation on the opening day of this week.