NRW.Energy4Climate is North Rhine-Westphalia's new state agency for energy and climate protection. As a central point of contact, it pools all forces and resources in the four highest-emitting sectors of the energy industry, industry, heat and buildings and mobility, which together are responsible for more than 90 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in NRW. The goal is to accelerate the transformation across sectors in such a way that North Rhine-Westphalia becomes climate neutral as quickly as possible, while at the same time strengthening North Rhine-Westphalia as a location for industry and services for the future.
Cities and municipalities play a decisive role in climate protection: more than 70 percent of global emissions occur here, among other things through building use and transport infrastructure. At the same time, it is municipalities and district administrations that initiate, approve and implement concrete projects, for example in the area of transport, in the expansion of renewable energies, in the heat transition or in the building sector.
In North Rhine-Westphalia there are 396 cities and municipalities and 31 districts - and thus plenty of room to shape climate protection at the local level. NRW.Energy4Climate stands by all 396 cities and municipalities and the 31 districts as a supporting partner and helps to ensure that climate protection measures are also successfully implemented in their city, municipality and district. Together, the state agency and the municipalities in NRW create suitable framework conditions for municipal climate protection and at the same time break down existing barriers in the field. The goal is to strengthen local climate protection efforts and thereby reduce emissions more quickly in areas that can be influenced by local government and politics. In doing so, climate protection is to be anchored as a guideline for a comprehensive municipal transformation process.
From Bielefeld to Aachen via South Westphalia, Cologne and Bonn: The NRW.Climate Networkers of NRW.Energy4Climate support municipalities and districts in carrying out climate protection campaigns for citizens. In addition, the NRW.Energy4Climate offers internet-based software for the preparation of municipal energy and CO2 balances. In addition, it uses this tool to monitor climate protection measures that have been implemented and supports municipal energy management. Tools such as the Förder.Navi or the Windplanung.Navi assistant for planning wind energy plants continue to promote the energy transition and climate protection at the municipal level.
Not only municipalities, but also local businesses and trades can count on NRW.Energy4Climate as a contact partner in the field of climate protection. A major advantage is that the Municipal Climate Protection Division can draw on the expertise of the other divisions of the NRW.Energy4Climate subsidiary, such as Energy Management, Heat and Buildings or Mobility, and thus pass on its knowledge quickly. In addition, external service providers provide support, especially in the start-up phase, to cope with the diverse tasks in the future - for example in the area of photovoltaic expansion, low-emission mobility or urban energy solutions. These support services include, for example, the "ALTBAUNEU" initiative, the "100 climate protection settlements" project or the award for energy-efficient non-residential buildings.
The NRW.Klimanetzewrkers, who are distributed throughout NRW, are central contact persons in the field of climate protection and energy efficiency for municipalities, companies and citizens in the regions - also in the Münsterland. At the locations of the district governments and the regional development corporations, they promote climate protection projects and communication. In addition, as a networking office, they bring together the district, state level and regional partners.