Prof. Gabriele G. Kiefer on the Berlin Climate Adaptation Advisory Board Integrating scientific findings into policy decisions

Professor Gabriele G. Kiefer is one of five renowned scientists on the City of Berlin’s new Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Adaptation. This expert panel, appointed by the Senate, will provide technical guidance on the city’s climate adaptation policy in future. The aim is to systematically integrate scientific findings into political decision-making and to further increase the effectiveness of measures to adapt to the consequences of climate change.

Professor Gabriele G. Kiefer, Head of the Institute of Landscape Architecture. Photo credits: Erik-Jan Ouwerkerk

According to Berlin’s Climate Adaptation Act, the city is to have over one million trees by 2040 in order to be better equipped to cope with climate change. That is more than twice as many trees as there are today. The implementation of Berlin’s Climate Adaptation Act, also known as the ‘BäumePlus Act’, is estimated to cost around 3.2 billion euros over the next 15 years. This equates to annual costs of around 213 million euros. The Act, passed by the Berlin House of Representatives in November 2025, aims not only to expand the city’s tree population but also to make the city heat- and weather-resilient through so-called ‘cooling islands’, improved green spaces and optimised rainwater management (the ‘sponge city’ principle).

The interdisciplinary committee brings together experts from the fields of landscape architecture, urban planning, climate research, health sciences and infrastructure. It will provide ongoing advice to the Senate and offer impetus for sustainable, resilient urban development. In addition to Professor Kiefer, the following have been appointed to the advisory board: Professor Alexander Buttgereit (Jade University of Applied Sciences), Professor Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann (University of Augsburg), Dr. Julia Teebken (Leibniz Institute for Spatial Social Research (IRS) in Erkner) and Professor Martin Berchtold (RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau).

In 2025, Professor Kiefer, as part of the ‘Stresstest’ team, curated the German contribution to the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, which highlighted the impacts of the urban climate crisis and presented concrete strategies for climate-resilient urban development. “The challenges posed by the climate crisis call for scientifically sound, practical and socially balanced solutions. I look forward to working with the other members of the advisory board to contribute to a climate-resilient and liveable city,” says the landscape architect. The advisory board, which was convened in May, will hold its first meeting on 30 June 2026.