21 per cent carbon dioxide saving already achieved.

Climate protection has been deeply ingrained in Muenster's policy for many, many years. The city had already achieved a full 21 per cent CO2 reduction by 2005. This is a very high figure for any German city, especially as each per cent was achieved through hard work and not simply by deactivating industrial plants which are damaging for the climate. Just to give an impression: According to statistics, each Muenster resident is responsible for six tons of CO2 emissions. The average German produces ten tons of CO2 per year. Muenster exploits numerous possibilities on its way to becoming a climate-friendly city – this being explicitly recognised in 2005 and, again, in 2009 with the bestowal of the European Energy Award in Gold – stringent, internationally recognised certification proceedings.

Heating energy as an effective lever.

Around 75 percent of the energy is used for heating. Thus, the city places great emphasis on the renovation of old buildings. The city council has invested more than 5,5 million euros up to now to promote private investments in the heat insulation of facades, windows and roofs. Since 1997, it has also been supporting the energy pass for old buildings which declares the energy-related condition of the house. The Office for Green Spaces and Environmental Protection relies on the multiplicator effect of those involved on site: it cooperates closely with architects, housing societies, handicrafts companies and energy consultants.

When a building principal acquires a piece of land from the city council – the city council being the largest provider of land by far – he has, since 1997, obliged himself to adhering to the low-energy house standard. The municipal specifications are even 30 percent lower than legal requirements. Around 6,000 flats and 90 commercial objects have been built according to this standard since then.

The administration does not remain inactive with regard to its own concerns, either. The city has invested many millions of euros in the renovation of public administration buildings and schools. The thirteen-floor "Stadthaus 2" town hall, built in 1963, was renovated true to the low-energy house standard. It now only consumes heating energy of around 40 kilowatt hours per square meter and year. Muenster’s most modern day care centre, planned by municipal architects as a passive house, consumes no more than 15 kilowatt hours of energy.

Environmentally friendly transport.

The citizens of Muenster complete more than every third journey by bicycle. This is unique in Germany and cements Muenster’s reputation as the cycling capital. Around half a million bikes are in use in Muenster, so that in terms of figures, each inhabitant has two bicycles. This is practical and comfortable for the citizens, and the climate profits from each car journey which does not take place. This is why the traffic planners have always placed great priority on the bicycle. Those who do not get onto their bicycles can comfortably rely on public transport. The connection between the city suburbs and the city centre has been improved even further with the second public transport plan. Even the newest city suburbs and residential areas are connected so well that nobody needs to walk further then 300 metres to the next stop. And at nights and on the weekends, there is the night bus.

Energy supply conventional and regenerative.

The construction of the new combined gas and steam turbine heating and power plant which is owned by the city council’s own public utilities company made a great contribution to saving the climate. The modern plant with an 80 per cent degree of efficiency went into operation in 2005 and saves Muenster 190,000 tons of CO2 per annum when compared with the previous coal-fired power plant. The council has been giving massive publicity to the utilisation of solar energy for many years. This bears fruit: Muenster has become Solar Champion of North Rhine-Westphalia for the fourth time since 2005. The forward projection of the climate protection concept now stipulates that regenerative energies should have achieved a share of 20 per cent by 2020.

Taking the people along.

The people play an important role, too, when it comes to climate protection. This is why the city started a massive campaign in 2008: "Climate seeks shelter in Muenster .... at your place, too!" is the claim that thousands of Muenster residents have subscribed to so far. Signing the embedded "Citizens' Pact for Climate Protection" they commit themselves to a number of practical steps that help mitigating the impact on climate change.

Anyway, the climate idea finds its way into the heads at an early stage in Muenster. With the "Energy and Waste-saving in Schools and Day Care Centres" the Office for Green Spaces and Environmental Protection has been practising systematic climate protection with the youngest ones. 15 facilities participated in the project at the beginning and more than one hundred schools and day care centres with more than 26,000 children are currently taking part. They saved more than seven million litres of waste and 3.5 million kilowatt hours of heating energy between 2003 and 2007.

Climate protection is a tradition in Muenster.

In the early 90s, the city council implemented an advisory committee on climate and energy. At that time, the scientific committee made recommendations on how it would be possible to reduce the CO2 emissions by 25 per cent by 2005. One of the first measures to be implemented by the council: it created a coordination unit for climate and energy ("Klenko") within the Office for Green Spaces and Environmental Protection in 1995. Since then it has systematically worked at implementing the climate protection targets and at the same time reported on Muenster’s activities into the farthest corner of Asia as a response to the increased international interest.

The person to contact with regard to climate protection is Birgit Wildt at the Office for Green Spaces and Environmental Protection, Tel. +49 (0)251/4 92-67 03, e-mail: wildtb@stadt-muenster.de.