News

Press release | 10.10.2016

Best climate action projects in Europe awarded

15 Climate Stars given to cities and regions in 7 countries

Grafenegg Castle / Frankfurt am Main, 10 October 2016. On Thursday evening in Lower Austria’s Grafenegg Castle, 15 municipalities, regions and associations of local authorities from seven European countries were awarded with a Climate Star for their outstanding climate action initiatives. The local projects cover a wide range of topics from energy and mobility to food systems and sustainable procurement up to climate justice and climate change adaptation. The winners demonstrate that communication is a key success factor, whether between local authorities and their inhabitants, with other municipalities and regions as well as with partners in the Global South.

European local authorities were honoured this year for the seventh time with a Climate Star but it was the first time the awards ceremony took place in the framework of the Climate Alliance International Conference. From 5 to 8 October, hundreds of local representatives united in Krems under the motto “A culture of local climate action ‒ Mainstreaming good practice”. The Government of Lower Austria along with the Climate Alliance European Secretariat and Climate Alliance Austria made both events possible.

All initiatives submitted for a 2016 Climate Star were assessed by an international jury of Climate Alliance representatives from Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg and Switzerland on the basis of their sustainability, innovation, potential as multipliers and potential for media coverage as well as their involvement of the public. More than 200 European municipalities and associations of local authorities with a total of more than 50 million inhabitants applied.

Awarded initiatives

Up to 10,000 inhabitants

•    Municipality of Alsómocsolád (Hungary; 337 inhabitants)
      Village of the Future.
•    Municipality of Krumbach (Austria; 2,250 inhabitants)
      “local to global” actions for climate justice
•    Municipality of Krumpendorf (Austria; 2,850 inhabitants)
      “live smart” Climate Ambassadors with energy saving tips for asylum seekers
•    Municipality of Ober-Grafendorf (Austria; 4,650 inhabitants)
      Eco Street
•    Municipality of Sarentino (Italy; 7,000 inhabitants)
      Wood power Sarentino

10,000 and 100,000 inhabitants

•    City of Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg; 33,900 inhabitants)
      Den Escher Geméisguard
•    City of Filderstadt (Germany; 45,200 inhabitants)
      E-E-S-mentors (ecology, energy and sustainability mentors) by immigrants for immigrants
•    Municipality of Götzis (Austria; 10,100 inhabitants)
      energy.conscious.götzis – citizens on the path to energy autarchy
•    City of Karposh (Macedonia; 59,900 inhabitants)
      Reconstructed public facilities in Karposh
•    City of Pesaro (Italy; 94,700 inhabitants)
      Public tender for heat services in existing buildings

Over 100,000 inhabitants

•    City of Basel (Switzerland; 167,400 inhabitants)
      2000 watt tours / solar boat trip to the 2000 watt society

Associations of local authorities

•    Region Korneuburg (Austria; 19 municipalities with 74,900 inhabitants)
      ISTmobile, the micro-public transport system in Lower Austria
•    Gossau - St.Gallen - Gaiserwald (Switzerland; 100,800 inhabitants)
      Energy network GSG (Gossau - St.Gallen - Gaiserwald)
•    Network ALTBAUNEU (Germany; 20 cities and districts with 7,176,900 inhabitants)
      ALTBAUNEU - an initiative of districts and cities in North Rhine-Westphalia
•    Future space Thayaland (Austria; 15 municipalities with 27,470 inhabitants)
      "Electric mobility Thayaland" moved by solar power

Further information


Contacts
Angela Hanisch, Climate Alliance European Secretariat, T. +49 69 717139-12, a.hanisch(at)climatealliance.org

Hannes Höller, Climate Alliance Austria, T. +43 664 853 94 09, hannes.hoeller(at)klimabuendnis.at