How do companies feel about climate protection?

PM parliamentary group wants to expand the catalog of criteria for property allocation

Created: 01/04/2022, 10:02 AM

From: Wolfgang Schörner

The city of Penzberg is about to award several commercial and industrial properties, here in the Nonnenwald.

© Wolfgang Schörner

When assigning commercial and industrial space, the city of Penzberg should in future also ask companies how they are doing, for example, with climate neutrality and social offers for employees.

That is what the parliamentary group of "Penzberg" demands.

Penzberg - Companies that are interested in commercial and industrial space in the city should in future also provide information on social issues and ecology.

The city council faction of "Penzberg together" (PM) has now applied for the city council to expand the catalog of criteria accordingly.

The background is that in Penzberg the allocation of an industrial area behind the printing center and commercial areas south of the Dr.-Gotthilf-Näher-Straße are pending.

When viewing the applications, according to the PM group, it became clear that the previous catalog of criteria was no longer up to date.

Interested companies should also express their opinion on climate neutrality and social aspects

In addition to economic information, the group believes that applicants should also provide social and ecological information about themselves.

According to the application, this could provide information on whether the company is willing to work with the city towards climate neutrality, and whether immigration and further pressure on the housing market and infrastructure can be expected.

Bocksberger: "We need sustainable, resource-saving companies"

"Today we need sustainable, resource-saving businesses," said PM parliamentary group leader Markus Bocksberger in a statement. "We can also do something about this as a municipality." When asked about the social offers for employees or the contribution to achieving climate neutrality, the municipality takes "some responsibility for the restructuring of the economy towards a more socially just and environmentally compatible" one.

PM city council member Martin Janner cites Articles 141 and 151 of the Bavarian Constitution. It is also the primary task of the municipalities to maintain and permanently improve the efficiency of the ecosystem and to align all economic activities with the common good. "A permanent improvement can only be expected, however, if we look for new ways that not only obey the fast market but also lead to securing our long-term needs," says Janner.

To this end, the parliamentary group has presented a first version of a catalog of criteria.

In addition to questions about turnover and organizational form, space requirements and activities of the company, training and jobs, tariff orientation and company apartments, it also includes questions about energy, mobility, climate balance, CO2 reduction and sustainable and fair procurement of raw materials.

Group reminds of the environmental and climate resolution of 2019

The PM group also proposes to reserve part of the still free industrial and commercial space for companies that work “fossil-free and resource-conserving” and meet the “common good-oriented requirements also in the supply chain up to raw material production in the global south”. In the application it is stated that the targeted preference for companies that are not oriented towards the consumer behavior of the market "but rather towards the needs of our time" can be described as a "courageous, progressive, innovative pilot project". According to PM, only a realignment of the economy can put a stop to the global problems of waste of resources and litter.

In support of the motion, the parliamentary group also recalled Penzberg's environmental decision of November 2019, according to which the consequences for the climate as well as ecological, social and economic sustainability should be taken into account when making decisions.

"As landowners," said the parliamentary group, "nothing restricts us from implementing our own resolution."