In 2006, Tübingen experienced a small sensation: 34-year-old Boris Palmer ran as mayor of Tübingen and won the elections in the first round. And he did so with a decidedly Green manifesto – from the abolition of company Daimlers in favour of the eco-friendly Toyota Prius to the launch of a climate protection campaign which has developed into a widely accepted civil movement.
Boris Palmer shows that the most important political task of our time, climate protection, can be solved first of all in towns and communities. In places where people know each other and their surroundings, they can protect the environment quickly and effectively. Because civic involvement and politics work together so successfully in Tübingen that CO2 emissions have decreased, the small town quickly has become a model for other towns: citizens are saving money, the sense of community in the town is increasing and the quality of life is improving.
In his book, Boris Palmer describes the convictions behind his policies, explains the Tübingen model – its ideas, controversies, supporters, accomplishments – and he tells us how Green politics of the future will have to look – and who will implement them.