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Urban governance for sustainable global development

Published 29. July 2016

"Our struggle for global sustainability will be lost or won in cities." With these words Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, opened the High-Level Delegation of Mayors and Regional Authorities in New York City on 23 April 2012.

A little more than three years later, at the United Nations (UN) Summit in 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted. In the Agenda, 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define the key areas and mechanisms for a future global development partnership. One of these goals (SDG 11: "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable") distinctly alludes to urban development. The urban community has widely celebrated the adoption of this "stand-alone urban goal". The step is perceived as reflecting an increased awareness of the important role of cities for global development pathways.

Keywords: SDG 2030, Environmental policy

Published 18. December 2018

Rhine-Hunsrück district is energy municipality of the decade

Yesterday, the Agency for Renewable Energies awarded the Rhine-Hunsrück District as Energy Municipality of the Decade / Environment and Energy Minister Ulrike Höfken congratulates warmly on this award.

Still from the film "The Rhine-Hunsrück district - home of the energy turnaround pioneers"; © fechnerMEDIA

Yesterday, the Agency for Renewable Energies awarded the Rhine-Hunsrück district in Kassel as "Energy Municipality of the Decade". "Climate change is clearly noticeable in Rhineland-Palatinate, as currently shown by the dramatic damage to forests. With its commitment to the energy turnaround, the Rhine-Hunsrück district is making a significant contribution to climate protection and the preservation of our animal and plant species on a regional level. The fact that the Rhine-Hunsrück district has been chosen as the energy community of the decade among all the exciting and exemplary energy transition projects throughout Germany in the last ten years is an outstanding recognition. I would like to warmly congratulate all those who have contributed to this: The award is a great honour and motivation for all climate protection campaigners in the Rhine-Hunsrück district," said Environment and Energy Minister Ulrike Höfken today in Mainz.

The award is a nationwide recognition of what the district has successfully achieved in recent years. "The Rhine-Hunsrück district is one of the first zero-emissions districts in the inland, 300 percent electricity from renewable energies is generated here in relation to its own consumption, 16 local heating networks are in operation and save around 2.7 million liters of heating oil annually. These figures are also impressive in a nationwide comparison and are the result of an early, energetic and planned energy turnaround on site," explained the Minister. And this also has an impact on regional and economic development: A total of around 44 million euros per year in municipal added value is generated in the Rhine-Hunsrück district through renewable energies, Höfken cited. With these financial means of energy production from wind, sun and biomass, further meaningful projects for the continuation of the energy turnaround as well as for the development of rural areas will be implemented. Höfken concluded: "The Rhine-Hunsrück district impressively shows how energy transition and climate protection work on a municipal level."

The unique energy transition history of the district can also be seen in the film "The Rhine-Hunsrück district - home of the energy turnaround pioneers". comprehend.

Keywords:
100% EEs, Awards, CO2-neutral, DE-News, Renewable, Climate protection, Communities, News Blog RLP, PV, Solar thermal, Contests & Prizes, Ecology

Published 13 July 2021

Study: Wuppertal to become a climate-neutral city by 2035

How can Wuppertal become a climate-neutral city by 2035? This question is discussed by the Wuppertal Institute in this new study, which was presented by Lord Mayor Uwe Schneidewind on 1.7.2021.

The whole study as pdf online:
https://wupperinst.org/…Klimaneutral_Wuppertal_2035.pdf

Keywords:
100% EEs, CO2-neutral, DE-News, Research, Climate protection, Communities, New books and studies, News Blog NRW

Published 10 February 2020

Launch of the Housing.2050 initiative

Climate protection has long been one of the most urgent topics for the housing industry. In order to achieve a climate-neutral building stock by 2050, the 24 founding companies of the Wohnen.2050 initiative met in Berlin on 28 January 2020 to found the association. The nationwide association was initiated by the Nassauische Heimstätte | Wohnstadt group of companies.

"Don't just talk about climate change, act" - under this motto, the Nassauische Heimstätte | Wohnstadt group of companies invited founding partners from all over Germany to found the Initiative Wohnen.2050 (IW2050) association. The overarching objective is a climate policy alliance which, in addition to strategic cooperation and a technical and content-related comparison, focuses primarily on economic and financial concerns to achieve the targets.

The event was opened by Axel Gedaschko, President of the Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate Companies (GdW). "For the housing industry, climate protection is one of the most urgent topics - and all those involved have been making a continuous contribution for a long time. To achieve the two-degree target and a climate-neutral building stock by 2050, the stakes need to be raised significantly once again. The situation requires not only commitment, but transformation," Gedaschko explained.

Nationwide association of the housing industry

The Wohnen.2050 initiative combines concentrated know-how and relies on the open-source approach. Solutions and tools for the resource-saving development of company-specific paths to climate neutrality are jointly developed and exchanged. In this way, even smaller companies are given the opportunity to position themselves in an economically and factually appropriate way. "We are facing what is probably the greatest challenge of our time. That's why it was clear to us that we needed an industry initiative to meet this challenge together and in partnership," says Dr. Thomas Hain, Managing Director of the Nassauische Heimstätte | Wohnstadt Group and member of the IW2050 Board of Directors, about the climate protection commitment.

Over 1 million housing units when the association was founded

The approach is convincing: on the day of its foundation, the initiative already represents around 1,050,000 housing units and six of the ten largest German housing companies within the GdW. "The participation and interest were overwhelming. We are proud to set out today with a staggering 24 founding companies on the path to a climate-neutral future," said Felix Lüter, Head of the Sustainability Competence Centre of the Nassauische Heimstätte | Wohnstadt Group. After the official founding of the association, the participants discussed possible financing and climate strategies in working groups. In the coming weeks, there will be further meetings to develop strategies and measures to achieve the goals set.

Main goals of the initiative

Unified positioning to raise financial support to achieve climate goals in the housing sector at federal and state level
Exchange know-how on climate strategies and concrete actions of the members and thus make knowledge accessible; only with pooled know-how and reduced use of resources of the individual companies is it possible to develop solution strategies in a timely manner and then implement them in the 2020s
Publicise the pioneering role and climate protection commitment of the sector, especially of its members.
Activation, empowerment and motivation of employees of participating companies to contribute to the achievement of climate targets and communication of climate protection commitment to customers