Involvement in networks
Stuttgart passes on successful ideas and gains valuable impetus through international networks.
Stuttgart is keen to find out about successful projects implemented in other cities and to work with them to establish pioneering strategies in the national, European and worldwide context. To achieve this end, Stuttgart is involved in national and international networks.
The diversity of the people of Stuttgart is mirrored by the diversity of its privately organized and civic networks. Alongside political, cultural, economic and honorary activities, the city is particularly involved with the issues of environmental and climate protection through a number of successful networks:
For the last 20 years, Stuttgart has been a member of the Energy Saving Committee of the German Association of Cities, which publishes “Information on Municipal Energy Management”. For over 10 years, Stuttgart has been active in the Municipal Energy Management Forum in Baden-Württemberg, an exchange forum for energy managers.
The first European Conference of Municipal Energy Managers met in July 2004 in Stuttgart. The aim is to turn this conference into a firmly established event on the EU level. 170 municipal energy managers from 22 European countries came to find out about projects undertaken in Stuttgart. The 2004 conference provided the initial impetus for the European Energy Network of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions. The network meets twice a year to exchange experiences, and disseminate the latest findings resulting from successful energy management projects.
Stuttgart joined the Climate Alliance of European Cities (with a membership of some 1,500 cities) in 1995. The State Capital plays an active role in a working group on CO
2 monitoring.
Since 2007, Stuttgart has been a member of the “Energie-Cités” organization, whose member cities work towards the achievement of sustainable local energy policy: optimum use of energy, promotion of renewable energies and protection of the urban environment. The organization numbers 110 members who work together with over 3,000 cities across the EU. This city network allows an exchange of experience at the local government level in the field of energy. “Energie-Cités” falls within the auspices of the European Commission, to which all the action plans are submitted.
In 2002, Stuttgart founded the Centre for Energy Research (ZfES). This specialist network is a cooperation between the City, the University of Stuttgart, and industry. The ZfES offers those involved a platform for cooperation on topical energy supply-related issues, and provides support on the road towards achieving a sustainable supply of energy. Research projects focus on decentral energy supply, utilization of biomass, smart buildings, low-emission fossil fuel power stations, and on simulation, optimization and status-oriented maintenance in the field of power engineering.
The worldwide network “Cities for Mobility”
The worldwide network “Cites for Mobility” was launched in 2000 as the project “Urb-Al” under the auspices of the European Union. Within this city network, Stuttgart undertook the role of coordinating the topic “Control of urban mobility”. Once this fixed-term project was complete, Stuttgart became more actively involved in the issue, taking “Urb-Al” as the basis for the formation of “Cities for Mobility”, a global network concerned with urban transport issues. Around 460 cities from 62 countries are involved (including Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Utrecht, Madrid and Graz). Under Stuttgart’s lead, “Cities for Mobility” promotes transnational cooperation between local governments, transport operators, industry, science and civil society. Its aim is to develop sustainable, efficient and future-proof transport systems in the member cities with a view to achieving environmentally and socially equitable mobility. Transport experts exchange their ideas about new projects on annual conferences.
Covenant of Mayors
Stuttgart has signed up to the Covenant of Mayors, a EU initiative fighting against climate change.
This ambitious European Commission initiative is committed to fighting climate change. Its aim is to encourage an active participation of the public.
The signatories of the Covenant are committed to going beyond the EU objectives and cutting their CO
2 emissions by at least 20 % by 2020 through better energy efficiency and an increased use of renewable energy sources as well as the implementation of an action plan.
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| © City of Stuttgart, Office for Environmental Protection, Section of Urban Climatology |
