On the one hand, municipalities have an important steering and coordination function for local climate protection and, on the other hand, they should develop and implement measures on their own initiative. Since effective climate protection can only be achieved in cooperation with stakeholders and the population, it is also the task of involving and motivating civil society. However, this role outside the traditional range of tasks often represents new territory for municipal actors. Climate protection managers alone are rarely in a position to establish and continuously maintain communication and cooperation with the central decision-makers on site.
Pioneering municipalities in climate protection have shown that it is very important to involve local key actors from administration, politics, business and civil society at an early stage. These people have a high degree of responsibility for local issues as well as specific expertise and corresponding influence within the municipality to translate this responsibility into action.
The aim of the project is to use case studies in different municipalities to show how key actors for local climate protection can be identified, activated and motivated by local practitioners (e.g. climate protection managers). In order to enable the municipalities to implement important climate protection measures outside the municipal sphere of influence together with these key actors, the project will develop methods and recommendations for action on how these persons can be won over for the process on site and motivated for sustainable commitment. The results of the project will be prepared and published in the form of a handout for municipalities. In addition, the commitment of active key actors will be disseminated nationwide via their networks, such as associations and organisations, in order to win further suitable personalities for local commitment.
First of all, eight case studies in municipalities will be carried out by means of qualitative guideline-based interviews for an intensive investigation of the possibilities and limits of the work of key actors and the stabilisation of the emerging processes for local climate protection.
On this basis, recommendations for action for municipal climate protection for identifying, addressing and cooperating with municipal and non-municipal key actors as well as for stabilising the process are derived and a guideline for action for municipalities is created.
After a validation of the case study results and a practical review of the applicability of the guideline in further municipalities, recommendations for the dissemination of the developed approach on a national level (i.e. for example via sectoral or business associations) will be developed. This will be done in participatory workshops with representatives of associations and other organisations.
The handout developed in the project addresses those responsible for municipal climate protection. The project is accompanied by public relations measures such as the creation of press releases and a website. In addition, the handout will be made available for public use.
Climate protection benefits from the fact that the project and its continuous follow-up in practice will lead to additional energy savings and emission reductions outside the municipal sphere of influence compared to a situation without systematic involvement of local key actors in municipalities.