Klimaschutz+

Klimaschutz+ (Climate Protection+) offers a platform for commons-based climate protection. Unique in Germany. It provides empowering tools for addressing three interrelated global topics: climate change mitigation and adaptation, poverty-alleviation and fostering a culture of nonviolence.

Change with us not only the source of power but also the power industry. Towards the common good, instead of shareholder value.

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Klimaschutz+ encourages local and individual mini-investments in renewable energies and all kinds of related projects at a global level (solidarity redistribution -> climate justice). The organization was explicitely set up to Direct Capital to Commons Provisioning.

# Aspirational Goals

We want connect the power of renewables with the power of voluntary civic engagement.

Klimaschutz+ offers people opportunities to simultaneously address climate change, fight violent culture, and work for a fair share for all. Its ultimate goal is to develop "sustainable societies." The three fields of action are considered a "conditio sine qua non" for reaching "true sustainability" and "sustainable societies."

Klimaschutz+ strives to prototype structures and tools which advance the logic of sustainability. According to the founders sustainability includes the commons.

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# Legal Status & Location

Klimaschutz+ is based in Germany, Europe. It has transnational impact by design.

There are two interconnected but independent legal forms. The first, Foundation Klimaschutz+, actually it isn't a foundation, but an "eingetragener Verein." The second entity, a registered cooperative (in German: eingetragene Genossenschaft), is a small organization of a maximum of 20 members. It carries out the economic activities. (See also: Klimaschutz+ Peer Governance)

# When did they start?

The organization was founded on October 10, 2010. But the idea was born in 2008, when Klimaschutz+ founders participated as "Schülerfriedensbüro Heidelberg" (Students Peace Bureau) at the Nobel for Peace World Summit, wiki .

# How do they work?

A Foundation for Climate Protection, Equity and Peace. source

Klimaschutz+ uses existing (infra)structures to enact new strategies for a sustainable future.

Citizens contribute freely. Not only, but basically money and they decide in an open deliberative process how it will be spent. For doing so they use the infrastructure and platform set up by Klimaschutz+, which has the legal responsibility to ensure that the money is really spent for climate protection in ways that advance the organization's purpose and values.

The idea is that each person is invited to invest in a sustainable future by investing one cent every day into each of the three issues: renewable energies, poverty alleviation, nonviolent culture. 3 cents a day equals 11 Euro a year.

Once the money is collected, it is assigned to specific projects in Germany and abroad suggested by the people themselves. Projects in Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania and elsewhere are being supported. The collective decisionmaking of the donors/"mini-investors," is often done online [@PETER IS THAT TRUE AND HOW EXACTLY?]. This is how funds are assigned to specific civic initiatives all over the world. In each case, there must be an advocate (Fürsprecher) who takes responsibility for a given project.

As a platform, Klimaschutz+ is designed to Rely on Distributed Infrastructures. The infrastructure is set up by a small team; they (and the platform) connect people and ideas.

Not 'everybody' can take part in the decisionmaking process. However, the hurdles for becoming a stakeholder and decisionmaker on one or more Klimschutz+ projects are very low. Anyone who has contributed 3 cents per day/11 Euro per year and whose contribution has been assigned to a certain project/fund, has the right to join in decisionmaking about that project.

Anyone can propose a project (and therefore set up a "project fund" or "team fund"). People have suggested and carried out projects for renewable power plants and environmental education, among others.

Klimaschutz+ is the first entity in Germany to offer options that integrate renewable energy with the Solidarity Economy, as a package. One way to do so is helping people switch their power-provider (see image below).

Transported image. source

# Klimaschutz+ in Numbers - 8 facilities for renewable energy production set up - 1 foundation founded (for general Klimaschutz+ projects) - 9 local civic funds - 11 so-called "team funds" and more in the course of formation @PETER: WHAT IS A CIVIC FUND AND A TEAM FUND, AND WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? ALSO: ABOVE WE'VE USED "PROJECT FUND"; is this also different?

# How are they financed?

In December 2018, there were 5,118 "civic donor-founders" (Stifter) who had given 279.191€ in donations (Zustiftungen, see here for updates: html ). Another 55.000€ had been donated by Grameen Social Business Investment html and html .

State funding is accepted only if it does not conflict with Klimaschutz+ own stated social and environmental purposes.

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# External Politics & Culture

Klimaschutz+ activists would say, we don't Beat the Bounds, we push them further. Boundaries aren't rigid. They can be widened

"using existing law creatively for our purposes. There is no clear boundary we have to respect. As a learning organization we are constantly questioning boundaries." Peter Kolbe

The core idea is that structural changes in the economy will contribute to Beat the Bounds. If, e.g. there is no incentive for profit making, if profit-making doesn't make sense anymore, certain boundaries won't either. How these incentives are being removed? See: Klimaschutz+ Peer Governance

Klimaschutz+ offers a platform to leverage many similar structures to be created and make use of it. Klimaschutz+ inspires and supports others. The city of Frankfurt and its Climate Protection fund, for instance. Solidarstrom Bremen, has emulated the project's ideas.[PETER ANYTHING ELSE OR MAYBE MORE CONCRETE?] This is a case of Emulate & Then Federate, which could be called 'Inspire, Emulate & Then Federate."

Our ideas are not copyrighted. Whoever wants to make us if them and set up such a structure is welcome to do so. (Peter Kolbe)

About the relationship with the State:

I am part of the State. We all are. To separate commons and state is problematic. Our default position is to recognize that we have a historically grown structure [the state - SH], which we need to change. Peter Kolbe

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# Realms of Commoning

Air&Atmosphere, Art&Culture - project support, Communication, Democratic Innovation, Energy, Food project support, Forests project support, Health project support, Learning project support, Mobility evt.