Overview

• After a three-hour environment committee hearing, the Volksentscheid Baum initiators declared their BäumePlus bill ready for a vote, calling costs manageable and key points resolved.
• The Abgeordnetenhaus faces October 9 as the last regular opportunity to pass the measure before a November 3 deadline set by the process timetable.
• Mayor Kai Wegner of the CDU said he wants to further develop the proposal with the initiators, and the CDU backed the aim in principle while insisting on practical and affordable rules.
• The draft would bind the Senate to replant and preserve street trees, including restoring the stock to 440,000 by December 31, 2027 and greening heat-prone neighborhoods.
• If the parliament does not approve the bill as proposed, organizers plan to resume signature collection in December toward a citywide vote by September 20, 2026, citing polling above 70% support.