Bundestag
The work in the Bundestag takes place primarily in the so-called committees. They are "preparatory decision-making bodies", which means that laws or motions are normally first discussed and evaluated by the specialised committees. In this legislative period there are 25 committees, which vary in size. The parliamentary groups are represented proportionally according to their size, sometimes with only three members, sometimes up to eight. Each parliamentary group appoints one person per committee as chairperson to set the agenda and take care of other organisational tasks. More inside
More information on the operating principles can be found on the committee pages of the Bundestag.
I am the chairman of the Committee on Housing, Urban Development, Building and Communities and a deputy member of the Committee for Climate and Energy and the Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid.
Speeches
Most of my work takes place in committee sessions, meetings, and speaking engagements. If my thematic responsibilities are called upon in plenary, I also give a speech in the Bundestag. You can find all my speeches on the pages of the Bundestag.
Building Committee
In the Committee for Housing, Urban Development, Construction and Municipalities, I am the representative of the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen parliamentary group. As chairman, I represent my parliamentary group primarily in parliamentary preparation in the run-up to the committee meeting. Together with my four colleagues from the parliamentary group, I work in the committee for affordable and healthy housing, liveable cities, climate-friendly building and well-equipped municipalities. In particular, I am the contact person and rapporteur for topics relating to building, monument protection, digitalisation and building energy.
Climate & Energy
The switch to renewable energies only works on the basis of an energy-efficient building stock. As a deputy member of the Committee for Climate Protection and Energy, I am therefore committed to ensuring that our building stock is renovated as quickly as possible, sufficiently and ecologically, and that our newly constructed buildings must meet more climate-friendly standards in the future. The goal must be to save as much energy as possible.
Human Rights
As a substitute member of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, I am responsible, among other things, for the interface with building policy: large quantities of concrete and other raw materials are used for new buildings and renovations. These often come from abroad and are extracted under questionable environmental and human rights conditions. I therefore advocate for fair supply chains. Another topic I am involved in is the major issue of refugees and a regional focus on the region of Northern Iraq.