Tools

Active climate protection in everyday life not only secures our livelihood for the future, but also simultaneously produces personal benefits. Energy-efficient appliances not only preserve the climate, but also save you money. Cycling instead of driving reduces CO₂ emissions while also benefiting your health.

By launching a climate campaign, the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia provides municipalities with the necessary foundations for a professional information campaign on the topic of climate protection in everyday life. It contains templates for communication materials on the five central topics of user behaviour, mobility, renewable energy, building modernisation and adapting to the impacts of climate change. The materials are available to the municipalities free of charge and can be customised as needed. The regional agency also organises free training on a suitable communication strategy. This should enable the municipalities to get the most out of the materials and significantly increase the added value of the campaign.

The climate campaign raises awareness, sensitises society to climate protection-relevant topics and promotes climate protection measures in the everyday life of citizens. The municipalities receive extensive support from the regional agency to introduce and implement the campaign.

We are currently revising the campaign materials and will subsequently make them available to you here.

Many districts and municipalities in NRW are already participating in or currently preparing a campaign. You will find more information from some regions on the following websites:

Arnsberg District Government: “Klimaschutz mit BRAvour”

Münsterland e.V.: “Münsterland is climate land”

Aachen region: “Kommunale Klimakampagne”

Overview of all cities, districts and municipalities currently participating

The climate protection planner is internet-based software by the municipal network association Climate Alliance to monitor municipal greenhouse gas emissions. Using the programme, municipalities can calculate their energy and greenhouse gas balances according to the BISKO methodology, a standardised balancing procedure throughout Germany. Input parameters include energy consumption in municipal properties, electricity and natural gas consumption by residents and businesses as well as vehicle density, among others. The federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia provides a free state licence for the climate protection planner for all NRW municipalities.

Greenhouse gas emissions play a decisive role in monitoring the respective defined climate protection measures at the municipal level. In addition to preparing balance sheets, the climate protection planner offers the option of tracking and measuring the progress of municipal climate protection activities.

The climate protection planner is managed by the regional agency NRW.Energy4Climate. The Climate Alliance association offers technical support and regular training.

www.klimaschutz-planer.de

Introducing an energy management system is the most cost-effective way to implement climate protection in public buildings. However, continuous data collection and monitoring is necessary to identify potential savings. Only through regular evaluation of consumption can “energy guzzlers” and deficiencies be detected and rectified in subsequent steps, for example through demand-driven systems control.

Despite the potentials mentioned above, many municipalities do not yet have the appropriate structures for effective energy management or their structures are insufficient, due to a lack of time, knowledge and resources.

With the online tool Kom.EMS (Municipal Energy Management System), they receive professional, practical and free assistance to introduce or optimise energy management.

The tool accompanies municipalities from the beginning and includes all administrative levels and instruments relevant for energy management in order to permanently save energy. Processes such as energy procurement, consumption monitoring and the operating behaviour of technical building systems are optimised for the long term by means of tried and tested working aids, checklists and a digital guide.

Districts and municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia can use the Kom.EMS online tool free of charge. Additionally, external support to implement Kom.EMS is subsidised by 70 to 90 per cent within the municipal guideline.

www.komems.de