Impact potential of municipal measures for national climate action

Effects of comprehensive strategic climate action elements and their potential for the NCI

© ifeu / suwadesign

Within the framework of the project "Impact potential of municipal climate action measures", the following core questions of municipal climate action were taken up and analysed:
(i) How great is the climate action potential of German municipalities and what contribution can municipalities make within the scope of their responsibility to leverage this potential?
(ii) What effect do municipal climate action managers have in terms of greenhouse gas reduction? Can the example of the use of subsidies for climate action and the indicators derived from it show an effect of climate action managers? What other effects can be detected?
(iii) How can the existing municipal tasks be used more for climate action from the point of view of the municipalities? Which changes in the federal or state requirements or in the municipalities themselves should be implemented in order to support greenhouse gas reductions in municipal responsibilities?

At a glance: What are the results of the analysis?

101 million tonnes of GHG reduction potential: Without municipalities, the climate target will not be achievable!
38 typical measures that play an important role in municipal climate action were selected and quantified. The contribution that municipalities can make to achieving the climate action goals by implementing these 38 measures amounts to around 101 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents. The measures are assigned to municipal spheres of influence and are thus clustered into direct and indirect measures.

Climate action in municipalities is predominantly voluntary and therefore not affordable nationwide to the necessary extent!
From a systematic analysis of the municipal options for action according to fields of action, 20 profiles were derived, which make it clear that municipal climate action can be implemented in many stages of ambition. In some cases, existing municipal tasks are already being used for climate action. So far, however, climate action is predominantly voluntary, in some cases there are legal obstacles and only in some federal states there are first obligations.

A climate action management (KSM) acquires additional funding for the municipality! For the analysis of the effects of climate action management, the use of subsidies for climate action in municipalities with and without climate action management was compared (comparison group analysis). The analyses carried out show that after the establishment of the KSM, the number of funded projects, the funding volumes and the GHG reductions increased significantly.

Conclusion: Strategies to strengthen municipal climate action

From the results of the analysis, recommendations were derived for a strategy for the federal, state and local governments that is suitable for further advancing municipal climate action on the way to greenhouse gas neutrality. The following six key points were identified:

1. Securing financing and anchoring strategic climate action in municipalities
2. Establishing climate action reporting
3. Increasing commitment to municipal climate action 
4. Further development of funding
5. Establish comprehensive advisory and support structures
6. Integrating municipal companies (see Studie zu Kommunalen Unternehmen)

The strategic recommendations were summarized in a roadmap
(see figure).

Who was involved?
The entire project was professionally accompanied by a steering committee consisting of experts. The steering committee also included representatives of municipalities of different sizes committed to climate action. In addition, numerous other municipalities were surveyed as part of the individual analyses.

Contribution to climate action
In the context of climate action legislation at federal and state level, the results of the analyses are incorporated into the further development of the National Climate Initiative and also into state strategies in order to strengthen the role of municipalities in climate action.

In addition to the final report, a brochure was also published, which summarizes the results of the research project briefly and clearly. It is aimed in particular at employees and political representatives of municipalities. It is aimed in particular at employees and political representatives of municipalities.

The 20 profiles developed can also be used by municipalities to classify their existing climate action activities and to identify other possible activities in order to exploit the entire influence potential of the municipality.