Environment City of St. Gallen wants to grow and become more sustainable
The city of St. Gallen wants to become more sustainable as its population grows. The current status of its efforts is shown in the environmental report, which is published every four years.
01.07.2024, 14:39
SDA
Since 2020, the city's resident population has increased from 79,990 to 82,501 people. This growth should be used as an opportunity to improve the quality of life for everyone in the city, according to the press release on the Environmental Report 2024 published on Monday.
One of the goals is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and the energy fund plays a role in this. Since 2020, the demand for subsidies has increased significantly. While the long-term average was around 250 commitments per year, this figure rose to 407 in 2020. In 2021, 570 applications were approved, and in 2022, 681. In 2023, however, only 471 applications were counted. The reason: funding for electric vehicles for private individuals was discontinued.
Adjustments to road construction
Another issue is the use of resources. The Civil Engineering Office wants to increase the proportion of recycled surfaces in road construction. Mastic asphalt can be recycled and reused. Paving stones, setts or kerbstones that are in good condition are either not replaced or made available for reuse.
A "sponge city fund" has been in place since March 2022. The money comes from fee income for meteoric and dirty wastewater. In 2023, 65 projects were managed and funding amounting to CHF 124,000 was granted. Among other things, the projects are intended to reduce the consequences of heavy rainfall.
The environmental report shows that efforts are still needed for the city to achieve the goals of its environmental strategies, according to the press release.
