Solutions for

Change:
The role of
Municipalities in
Climate protection

Thomas Brose
The challenge for Municipalities

Municipalities and Climate Change

• Climate Change shows up on local level
• by 2030, two thirds of humanity will live in urban centres
where more than 75% of all energy is consumed today
• cities are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change, especially fast-growing cities in developing
countries
• local government is the sphere of government closest to
citizens
It´s also about economics

Regional added value by the

substitution of fossil fuels
Currently our expenditures for energy are
contributing to develop regions!
Climate Alliance
Partnership
between
European
local authorities

and
indigenous
rainforest
peoples

to reduce GHG emissions &

protect the rainforests
 Up to 20% of global CO2 emissions comes
from forest destruction and degradation

Indigenous territories can contribute to rainforest protection

The Climate Alliance Commitments

 To cut CO2 emissions by 10 % every 5 years

 To halve per capita emissions (baseline year
1990) at the latest by 2030
 To aim at a sustainable level of 2,5 tons CO2
equivalent emissions per capita and year by
energy saving, energy efficiency and the use of
renewable energy sources
 To abstain from timber derived from
destructive logging
 To co-operate with Indigenous Peoples

1990 2008
2030
Pillars of
Climate Alliance's work

CA target:
• monitoring of achievements
• strategic approaches / methodologies for
integrated climate policies aids and tools to
• develop and implement measures,
• exchange of experience
• presentation of achievements
• Lobbying at European and international levels
• Campaigns for members to involve citizens
• Partnership with indigenous peoples
Climate Alliance‘s members

1.498 members
in 17 European countries
with 53 mio. inhabitants
(= 10 % of the EU
population)

DE: 445

LU: 37 AT: 778

CH: 20

IT: 162
The Bouquet of possible local actions
Classification of actions according to the role of the Local Authority:
The LA as:


 Supplier & Provider 
Consumer Advisor
&
& Model
 § Promoter
Planner & Regulator
 LA as Consumer

Methode
The Local Authority has responsibilities for
• the energy consumption on own buildings
(3-10 % of total energy consumption of the city)
• its vehicle fleet
• the management of municipally owned lands and forests
• its procurement system, catering, etc.
The LA as Planner & Regulator
The Local Authority has responsibilities for
• land use planning decisions and siting policies
• optimising the energy performance of new
developments
• integrating traffic prevention strategies in
development planning
The LA as Supplier & Provider
The Local Authority has responsibilities for
• a local utility - distributing energy in the locality and sometimes
also producing
• running district heating networks
• the infrastructure for transport: for the urban road network, but
also for public transport (depending on the size of the
municipality) and for facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.
• the waste management by providing systems to collect the
different waste fractions separately in order to ensure the
respective recycling procedures.
The LA as Advisor & Promoter

The Local Authority can offer

• awareness raising activities as part of their consumer
protection and environmental responsibilities.
• Energy and mobility advice for citizens
• Campaigns which illustrate benefits of a certain action,
create a feeling of community and motivation
• Education/training for certain occupational groups like
architects, planners or craftsmen
• Themselves as a partner, in LA21 processes, round tables,
forums with the objective to set up climate action plans, to
agree with investors on energy standards for a new
development, a new public system, etc...
 LA as Model
The Mayors as Model for political
Methode
commitments

Heidelberg: Tübingen:
Goal: Reduction until Goal: CO2 emission of 3 t
2015 by 20% per capita
Integrated approach for
climate protection

Agriculture and
Procurement
Forestry

Local Climate
North/south
Protection Urban Planning
cooperation

Energy Transport
A lot of activities are being
undertaken
Practical Examples:
Concrete Solutions for Change

44 examples

from
22 cities
in Germany
setting
benchmarks for
local action
Concrete Solutions for Change
• Urban Planning

Freiburg:
energy features
taken into account
in early planning Stuttgart: Strategic
steps, obligation approach:
for builders to implement most compact urban
sustainable energy solution, development vs.
Low-Energy-Standard conservation of green
space
Heidelberg: largest passive
house building project in the
world: funding programme,
consultancy concept for
builders, rest heating from
biomass and geothermal,
Concrete Solutions for Change
Energy Efficiency

Frankfurt am Main:

„Capital“ of
Cogeneration
120 plants with
24,000 kWel
Münster: Gas and Steam Cogeneration
Plant - 75,000 t CO2/a
Factor 3 increase in energy efficiency: -
190,000 t CO2/a
& combatting Energy Poverty
Nuremberg:
Specific advisory service for low-
income households
60 % of energy savings potentials by
altering heating or lighting habits
Concrete Solutions for Change
Renewable Energies

Bonn:
1 wood pellet heating
= less CO2 acc. to 130 single
houses
heated by natural gas
Munich: Solar District Heating
Rostock: futuristic residential
area large seasonal hot water
„Saw Tooth Houses“ reservoir
- 60 % heating than with natural
Offenbach: gas supply
877 kWp output
662,000 kWh/a
CO2 : - 600 t/a
due to roof renting to private
investors
Concrete Solutions for Change
• Smart Financing Mechanisms
Berlin:
Energy Saving Partnership
Contracting of
22 pools with a total of 1,300
buildings
Investments: 60 million Euro
Energy Saving: 15 to 36 %
Stuttgart: CO2 reduction: 60,000 t/a
Savings in
Energy costs: 1.2 million Euro
Water: 32,000 m3
Heating: 15,000 MWh
Electricity: 2,000 MWh
Due to City-Internal
Contracting
Concrete Solutions for Change

Awareness raising, campaigns

Bonn:
Yearly Energy Day

Lübeck:
Partner in Climate Alliance‘s Ice
Concrete Solutions for Change

Waste Management
Munich:
Green electricity from
biowaste via dry
fermentation
supply of 1,600 Freiburg:
households
Methane from landfill for co-
generation
Heat supply of 7,000
households
- 10,000 t CO2 emissions

Mainz:
Electricity supply for
40,000 households
+ heat + process
steam
Concrete Solutions for Change

gnil ss E
ne
Rostock
Nuremberg
• Transport

Münster
Dresden Lübeck
CLIMATE ALLIANCE’s Current
Projects

Scope:
 Methodology, strategic
approaches
and implementation of
measures
 Campaigns
 Awareness raising
 Co-operation projects
The Climate Alliance methodology

roadmap to set up a
local climate plan.

based on experiences gathered in 15 years

Climate Alliance work
and of the respective local authority
considering all relevant sectors for a local climate
change policy
funded by Co-operation Framework
to promote Urban Sustainable Development
Five steps
Aids and Tools
„Compendium of Measures“
for 8 fields of action, with 4 ambition levels,
more than 300 measures
„Data - Facts - Arguments“ for local decision
makers
200 best practice examples, resources
Climate Compass Promotors
Climate Scan

An inventory of implemented and planned

measures (assisted by national
networks);
An officer from each city / region will visit
another partner and assess the way the
cities are progressing towards mitigation
of climate change;
The performance of the city will be
discussed by the peer review teams
with local staff.
Outputs

a report that identifies the measures that

can be recommended for implementation
by the local authority to achieve further
progress;
stimulate at least 3 additional
implemented measures per city.
 Climate Compass

Field of action
Strategic steps Level Activity
CLIMATE ALLIANCE’s Projects

Benchmarking for CO2 emissions, activities, implementation

strategies

Exchange of experience
 Looking at CO2 emissions only
is not enough!

Project
Benchmarking
Results
Lessons learned
 That’s why a multiple benchmark
approach is needed !

Project Step 1: Activity profile

Benchmarking
Results
Step 2: CO2 balance sheet
Lessons learned

Step 3: Set of indicators

Energy Exploitation and Performance
Contracting for low income and social
housing

Target Group: people with low incomes

Mechanism of financiation
Stragies of motivation
Communication
CLIMATE ALLIANCE’s Projects

FIFTY-FIFTY PLUS
Expansion of the “fifty-fifty“ model for schools,
giving students incentives for energy saving

 Development of a campaign
for local authorities and schools
 Testing of a promoter model
for schools / students
CLIMATE ALLIANCE’s Projects

AMICA
(Adaptation and Mitigation –
an Integrated Climate Policy Approach)

 links existing experience of

mitigation with adaptation strategies
 aims at achieving regional and local
risk minimisation
Climate Star 2009

Award Ceremony in Melk Austria

The Short Track to Climate Protection

444 applications in 4 categories of smaller

and bigger cities
Projects aiming at raising
awareness:

Sustainable energy for

With:
poverty reduction

 workshops in municipalities for

key multiplier
 presentations
 visits of indigenous representatives
in cities
 Delegation tour to Ecuador
 and, for example, ...
Projects aiming at raising
awareness (2):

Oil-in-art school projects

together
with an
artist
Art action in Strasbourg

Art action with pupils from the city of

Stuttgart and Strasbourg during the
Development Days 2008
Cooperation projects:

Indigenous peoples
and renewable energy
installation
of solar lights
modules

Oil presses –
production and use
in the Ecuadorian Amazon region
CAMPAIGNS:

Kids on the move

for climate protection !

ZOOM - project
2002: in Germany
2003: in Europe
2004, 2005: in Austria,
individual federal states
and cities
2006: all over Europe
2007: all over Europe
 Kids on the move

Hand-over of the results in 2007

at COP13/Bali:
1.457.039 green footprints
{2008: 1.546.834 green
footprints!}
2009 in Copenhagen ???
Commitments of Local Authorities
when joining the Covenant of Mayors

• To go beyond the EU’s 3 x 20 objectives

• Prepare a Baseline Emission Inventory
• Set up a Sustainable Energy Action Plan
• Submit regular implementation reports
• Greek cities have signed the Covenant

Covenant of Mayors Thematic Workshop, Open Days, 6 October

2009
Step by step approach
Covenant of Mayors Office
managed by:

From the initiative

of:
 LG international

Mobilise leadership on local climate action - because:

We need a strong post 2012 Agreement

Global warming must remain under 2°C
We need empowerment of LGs in this Agreement
Cities and towns are part of the problem and of the solution:
therefore cities must be empowered, resourced and receive a clear
mandate as a guarantee for success to achieve the objectives of the
post 2012 agreement
CLIMATE ALLIANCE’s Current
Projects

Find more information on

www.climatealliance.org

and dedicated websites:

www.smile-europe.org, www.climateforchange.net,
www.climatemenu.org, www.mobilityweek-europe.org,
www.wald21.de, www.clever-mobil.org, www.climate-star.net,
www.erdoelinamazonien.org, www.aim-solarcity.net,
www.regenwaldmenschen.de, www.klimastaffel.de,...
Concrete Solutions for Change

Local authorities
Bonn:
Use of public
roofs
for solar
plants,
Wood pellet
heating

Tübingen: - 95 % of CO2
emissions due to fleet
renewal, use of regional
biodiesel, eco-driving
Concrete Solutions for Change
Buildings
Cologne:
11 energy efficient housing estates
with 900 residential units
Latest project:
Improvements in thermal insulation by 80
%
Central heating with wood pellets
150 m2 of solar thermal collectors
200 m2 photovoltaics

Hanover:
Integrated retrofitting in 300 apartments
On-site training of architects and craftsmen, quality
assurance briefings