PETER KURZ
Mayor, City of Mannheim
“Today, more than ever, we know that sustainable cities have to be our ultimate goal.”
Geographical scope:
Local, Global
Climate Action:
Mayor Kurz’ vision is to boost climate protection by strengthening the role of cities in global governance. In Mannheim, he has worked actively to localize the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the city’s mission statement, Mannheim 2030. The SDGs are the basis for all actions in the city, integrated into seven strategic goals. This process has involved the engagement of over 2,500 citizens.
In Strategic Goal 6: Climate, Environment and Alternative Mobility, Mannheim describes a climate-friendly, climate-neutral and resilient city as a role model for environmentally conscious living and acting city.
Under Mayor Kurz’s leadership, Mannheim, together with ICLEI, has developed the Mannheim Message. Mayors from across Europe have signed the Message and committed to supporting the European Green Deal by developing and implementing Local Green Deals. In March 2021, Mannheim published a study by the renowned Wuppertal Institute on how to become climate neutral.
Innovation:
Mannheim was the first German city to carry out a Voluntary Local Review to measure progress in the implementation of the SDGs and the Mannheim 2030 mission statement.
On the basis of the Mannheim Message, the City of Mannheim has committed to being an Local Green Deal (LGD) pilot city by initiating a process based on numerous existing initiatives and strategies, complemented by targeted measures in the different areas of change.
Impacts:
After the publication the Wuppertal Institute study, a Climate Action Plan 2030 was published by the City. It represents an integrated strategy for climate protection and climate impact adaptation.
A first milestone has been the definition of greenhouse gas emission pathways. Furthermore, a climate protection fund was established, which will provide 2.5 million euros annually over a period of four years for climate protection measures.
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