Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation
Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf.
-Summary- 25 July 2013 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf.
Contents
1. The challenge of the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation by 2050 …………………. page 3 2. The history of climate change mitigation in the town of Neumarkt ………………………………………. page 4 3. General frameworks affecting climate change mitigation…………………………………………...... …….. page 6 4. The guiding principles for climate change mitigation…………………………………………………………….. page 8 5. Climate change mitigation targets ...... ………………………………………………………………………...... … page 9 6. The conceptual development of the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation …...... page 11 7. Organisation of municipal climate change mitigation ....………………………………..………………………. page 12 8. Energy and carbon footprint ...... ………………………………………………...... page 13 9. Review of the key areas of activity ………………………………………...... …. page 15 10. Strategies and measures……………………………………………………………………………...... ….….…. page 21 11. Prospects …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...... … page 26
2 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf.
1. The challenge of the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation by 2050
On 27 April 2012, the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. (‘Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate’) was notified that it had been selected as a pilot town in the German Government’s National Climate Initiative, under the funding priority ‘Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation’. On 26 October 2011 the town council had already adopted a corresponding basic resolution. To support elaboration and implementation of the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation, Neumarkt intends to establish institutionalised climate change mitigation management structures within the town administration. As a climate change mitigation target it was agreed that by 2050 the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. will strive to achieve an energy and carbon footprint in which CO 2 greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by 95 %, and the energy requirement by 50 %. On 25 July 2013 the town council of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. approved the key points of the ‘Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation’. This council resolution forms the basis for implementing the Master Plan. Seen from today’s perspective, the Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation is an entirely feasible, though extremely ambitious, road map. It means that virtually 100 % of the energy supply in Neumarkt will be switched to renewable sources, and that exhaustive use will be made of all potential energy savings. The strategy paper ‘Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation – toward the zero emission community’, prepared on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), states: ‘The task we face involves nothing other than an extensive decarbonisation of society. For energy supply (...) this means a fundamental change of direction’. According to this, in the year 2050 our society and our economic system should be based entirely on renewables. Finite resources are to be conserved, and energy generated without burning fossil fuels. By reducing the concentration of atmospheric CO 2, the impacts of climate change should be halted, or at least mitigated, given the time it will take the climate system to recover. By funding the Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation, the funding agency – the BMUB – seeks first of all to emphasise the special role of municipalities in this huge task for the future. Secondly it is investing in a dialogue in partnership, so that we may tackle this challenge together. In order for the town of Neumarkt to do justice to its role as a pilot town for climate change mitigation, it is crucial that we define interim targets and milestones along the path to the long-term goal for 2050. We must also define and implement specific measures. The present Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation is the road map for achieving this.
The graphic below shows energy consumption in the town of Neumarkt in 2011, and in 2050 upon realisation of the Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation (excluding industry). The dominant feature of the trend is a reduction in energy consumption by over 70 %. In 2050, fossil fuels will only be used to a very minor extent. The electricity supply is based entirely on renewable sources, largely originating within the region. As well as the renewables used directly (38 %), the natural gas used also includes an arithmetic 50 % share of bio natural gas, 85 % of the district heat is obtained from renewable sources, and 54 % of the energy requirement for transport is covered by green electricity. This adds up to
3 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. almost 90 % of the energy requirement that is covered predominantly from regional, renewable sources. Most of the value created by the remuneration for energy required in 2050 will benefit the region.
Energy supply 2011 Energy supply 2050
14% electricity electricity 26% natural gas 24% 7% natural gas 16% 2% district heat 73% 27% district heat 29% heating oil 38% renewables 1% coal transport 13% 6% renewables savings 24% transport
Fig.: Energy supply in the town of Neumarkt in 2011 and 2050 (not including industry)
2. The history of climate change mitigation in the town of Neumarkt Climate change mitigation at the local level was first described as a cross-cutting task in the town of Neumarkt in the town’s guiding principles ‘Sustainable Neumarkt’, published in 2004. Following various forums for the future and citizen conferences, and their subsequent evaluation, in its resolution of 20 July 2004 the town council adopted the plan ‘Neumarkt – Our contribution to climate change mitigation’. At that time no quantitative targets were set, but priority areas were defined such as raising awareness, reducing energy consumption, promoting renewable energy and stepping-up energy-efficient construction and modernisation. For the first time, the town’s guiding principles summarised concrete measures as a ‘Municipal programme for saving energy and mitigating climate change ’. In October 2006, a unit was created within the construction office of the town administration with specific responsibility for establishing a central building control system. This was completed in the spring of 2008. This system supports systematic energy management, allowing optimal use of energy and the saving of fossil fuels. Following the local election in 2008 a climate change mitigation department was created within the town council of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. By joining the Climate Alliance in March 2008, establishing the Climate Forum in May 2008 and signing the European Covenant of Mayors in February 2009, the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. finally placed climate change mitigation at the centre of its policy. Furthermore, the road map for climate change mitigation prepared in 2009 and the energy management plan provided comprehensive databases. Alongside this the town developed its own funding programme, which is called ‘Factor 10’. Neumarkt intends to use this programme to encourage citizens to modernise their properties, and thus reduce energy consumption within the private housing stock. To make citizens aware of the funding programme, in February 2010 an architect was hired and a help desk set up in the citizens’ bureau. Every year the budget for the town of Neumarkt earmarks a six-figure sum for the Factor 10 funding programme. As at July 2013, funds totalling just under EUR 650,000 had been disbursed.
4 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf.
When the town updated its guiding principles in autumn 2010, it moved climate change mitigation even higher up the agenda. Over ten pages of the document the authors take stock of developments so far, and define new projects. The greatest setback for municipal climate change mitigation in Neumarkt was the failure of the large-scale ‘biomass cogeneration plant’ project. After several years of planning and a subsequent change of project site, in December 2012 the town council finally took a majority decision to reject the project. The reasons given for this included doubts as to the project’s cost-effectiveness. By contrast, other projects were successful. These include the aforementioned energy management project in the construction department, with which up to 360 tonnes of CO 2 per annum can be saved, or the 100
Roofs Plus programme, through which PV systems with a total capacity of over 1 MW Peak were installed within 2 years. Other examples of activities performed by the town of Neumarkt include supplying municipal properties with green electricity from hydropower, several local cogeneration plants, energy-saving street lighting and the use of waste heat from the municipal sewage treatment plant to supply the municipal plant nursery. They also include numerous measures to mobilise the population – including energy consulting, presentations, and a ‘Green House Number’ award for energy-saving houses. Various flagship projects demonstrate that the town of Neumarkt seeks innovative solutions. These include the Net-Plus-Energy administration building of the Neumarkt public utility company, the PV plant next to the Neumarkt-Nuremberg railway line in the district of Pölling with a capacity of 1.2 MW, which was implemented in conjunction with noise abatement measures, and the aforementioned Factor 10 funding programme. For traffic and transport, a master plan has been drawn up for the entire town and approved by the town council. Neumarkt is also a founding member of the working group of bike-friendly municipalities in Bavaria, and in 2011 the ‘jellyfish’ e-mobility campaign was launched. The campaign includes the procurement of appropriate official vehicles, and the installation of public charging stations. Finally, the local education and research sectors are also firmly on the way to making Neumarkt a carbon-neutral town. The opening of the research and development centre in cooperation with the Technical University of Nuremberg in September 2011 created a focal point for innovative young enterprises in the field of renewable energy. However, some of these enterprises have since been declared bankrupt, particularly in the wake of the crisis in the solar power industry caused by the sudden cut in feed-in tariffs in 2012. Neumarkt’s sustainability conference and the ‘Relearning sustainability’ programme, which has annual resources of up to EUR 50,000, are just two examples of how citizens are being closely involved in the sustainability process through educational offerings. It is also worth mentioning Neumarkt’s involvement in the European network project eReNet between 2011 and 2013, which is co-financed by the Intelligent Energy for Europe programme. This project involves the Europe-wide transfer of knowledge and technology for climate change mitigation and energy. The efforts made by the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. to pursue local climate change mitigation, as well as other sustainable development topics, have won several awards in the past. These include the Climate Alliance’s Climate Star Award in spring 2012, and the German Sustainability Prize in 2012. In fact, Neumarkt was only able to join the ‘Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation’ pilot programme
5 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. of the German Federal Environment Ministry (BMBU) because it is one of the towns in Germany with the strongest track records in municipal climate change mitigation. Finally, with regard to the management structure for the ‘Master Plan process’ we should emphasise that as of 1 May 2012, a dedicated Sustainable Development Office was established within the town administration of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. This office is responsible for managing climate change mitigation and adaptation issues in the town, and is the focal point for preparing and implementing the Master Plan.
3. General frameworks affecting climate change mitigation Municipal climate change mitigation is affected by general frameworks on various levels, ranging from global developments down to local structures. When implementing the Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation, Neumarkt must first of all aim to make optimal and exhaustive use of the overarching frameworks in order to gain maximum scope for designing its own activities. This will include e.g. participating in funding programmes, implementing pilot projects and developing target-group-specific educational and training offerings. Secondly, it must utilise and optimise local structures in such a way that climate change mitigation can be pursued efficiently. This will include e.g. clear decision-making channels, human capacities and financial resources. Neumarkt’s Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation is a strategic plan based on a consensus that measures to mitigate climate change are urgently needed. The Master Plan will therefore not describe the background or causes of global warming. Here we refer in particular to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sometimes referred to as the ‘World Climate Council’. This body, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, engages professionally with the topic of climate change, and continuously calls for extensive measures to mitigate climate change. Despite the urgency of the matter, the UN Climate Change Conferences driven by this process regularly end in disappointing results. The result which has been most binding internationally is the Kyoto Protocol, which entered into force in 2005. This Protocol for the first time laid down under international law binding target values for greenhouse gas emissions in the industrialised countries. Although these international frameworks should not be left out of consideration for the Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation, they do play only a secondary role for action at the local level, as initially they can affect this level only indirectly. At this point we will therefore deal briefly with frameworks at the national to regional levels. Although the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. itself does have a great deal of scope to promote and press ahead with local climate change mitigation, the town’s policy-makers, and administrators and other actors, are of course dependent on the frameworks that exist at the European, national, Bavarian, regional and district levels, and the extent to which these are conducive or unconducive to local climate change mitigation activities. The best example is Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). Pursuant to that legislation, the feed-in tariffs that apply at any given time will have a crucial effect on the extent to which citizens or investors are able to implement projects that use wind or photovoltaic power cost-effectively. The massive cuts in feed-in-tariffs for PV electricity in 2012 caused huge upset, which of course also continues to be felt in Neumarkt.
6 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf.
Another example is mobility, which in the rural administrative district of Neumarkt can present the greatest challenges with regard to meeting climate change mitigation targets. Here too, the municipalities and in particular the large district town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. can strengthen public transport, expand the cycle path network and launch e-mobility initiatives. However, what will be crucial with regard to personal motorised transport, which is highly likely to still exist in 2050 , is the extent to which initiatives (possibly including legislation) can be created at the federal level that will help bring about a breakthrough in alternative forms of propulsion such as electric engines and mobility models. Finally it is also important to consider the frameworks at the next-highest level of administration, the administrative district of Neumarkt. Although the municipalities do not share any joint objectives for climate change mitigation at the level of the administrative district, the figures contained in the energy strategy of the administrative district published in 2011 do provide important guidance. We should note that the time frame extends up to the year 2030 (in contrast to the Master Plan, which defined the target year as 2050). If the full potential for mitigation outlined in the strategy were to be harnessed, then according to the calculations it would be possible to reduce the CO 2 emissions of 1,016,600 tonnes in 2010 to 462,500 tonnes in 2030, which would be equivalent to a saving of around 55 %. If we were to simplify matters by assuming that this potential reduction were to be spread evenly across the territory of the administrative district, and if we were to further assume that this potential can be exhausted through appropriate measures, then the potential reduction for the administrative district as a whole tallies very well with the CO 2 mitigation targets for the town of Neumarkt for 2030. A further interesting aspect of the energy strategy of the administrative district of Neumarkt is the development scenarios it includes for the year 2030. According to these, by increasing efficiency and switching to modern technologies (e.g. LED technology) it would be possible to reduce the electric energy requirement from 687 GWh in 2010 to 509 GWh in 2030. The total requirement for electric energy for the administrative district could then be met completely from renewables by 2030 at the latest. If all the potential were to be harnessed, then the administrative district could even generate a surplus of around 122 GWh, which could then be fed into the grid. These scenarios paint a more difficult picture with regard to the heat requirement. Through heat insulation measures and increased efficiency it would be possible to reduce the heat requirement from 2,504 GWh in 2010 to 1,960 GWh in 2030. If we take into account the described potential savings, and the potential for developing renewables, then in 2030 there would be a residual requirement of around 601 GWh of final thermal energy per annum, which would need to be met through energy trading in order to meet the target of ‘100 % renewable energy sources by 2030’. Regarding local frameworks, over the last 10 years the town of Neumarkt has laid key foundations for climate change mitigation, implemented flagship projects, created new structures and provided funding opportunities for citizens. With regard to the Master Plan and its implementation, it will be important in particular to: - mainstream climate change mitigation as a cross-cutting task within the town administration. - introduce and apply continuous monitoring. - harmonise town council and senate resolutions with the targets of the Master Plan. - identify a clear path for development and climate change mitigation scenario, and systematically implement the relevant measures to achieve the (interim) targets.
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4. The guiding principles for climate change mitigation As part of the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation, the guiding principles for climate change mitigation have been updated. The new guiding principles for climate change mitigation set out the basic direction of municipal climate change mitigation in Neumarkt, emphasise the long-term vision and specify priority areas for action. This guiding principles for climate change mitigation, which are entitled ‘Neumarkt – Our contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation’, are based on existing resolutions of the town council concerning the town’s guiding principles of 2010 and the integrated town development plan of 2012. The objectives formulated in these two approved documents were supplemented with further, new aspects arising from the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation, by resolution of the town council dated 25 July 2013.
Neumarkt – Our contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation
In Neumarkt we wish to drive municipal climate change mitigation forward, and help reduce CO 2 emissions and save energy. Our long-term objective is to become a ‘carbon-neutral town’, a so-called ‘zero emission community’.
We aim to achieve our quantitative targets for reducing final energy consumption and CO 2 emissions by the year 2050 as a member municipality of the Covenant of Mayors and the Climate Alliance, and by implementing our Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation.
During implementation we will focus on the following main aspects: • Raising awareness concerning the links between power generation, energy consumption and climate change mitigation, particularly as they arise in connection with the development of climate change mitigation management. • Developing local cooperation arrangements and networks for climate change mitigation between the public utility companies, local businesses and the university. • Stepping up measures to reduce energy consumption and to save energy. • Supporting and intensifying energy-efficient construction and the energy-efficient modernisation of the building stock. • Energy consulting and promotion of energy-saving concepts. • Supporting renewable energy sources such as solar heat, photovoltaics, wind, water, geothermal heat and waste heat, and renewable raw materials such as biomass and biogas. • Supporting the introduction of energy-efficient technology such as e-mobility, and new energy sources such as hydrogen (power-to-gas technology). • Implementing innovative district-based energy supply in residential districts and new industrial estates and technology parks. • Realising a long-term energy supply strategy for the entire town based on renewable energy sources, renewable raw materials and energy efficient technology.
We also consider the following points to be important: • We would like to make greater use of public buildings to set an example, and involve schools more closely in local climate change mitigation. • Climate change mitigation should already be taken into account in land-use planning, e.g. should include the demands imposed by using solar power. Sustainable energy concepts should be integrated into preliminary and binding town planning.
8 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf.
• Climate change mitigation must be made a community task. Here we see potential for cooperation particularly with the trades, industry and the service sector, and for using the expertise present in these areas. • Further areas of activity for climate change mitigation include sustainable agricultural production and • reducing private motorised transport, and improving public transport and the environment it operates in, by promoting environmentally sound mobility concepts and low emission engines, • and the development of sufficiency strategies to promote a low-emission, sustainable lifestyle. We also wish to harmonise the preservation of the townscape and the architectural quality of the district- based development activities, as well as the integration of wind and solar power plants into the townscape and landscape, with the objectives of climate change mitigation. Finally, in our future climate change mitigation activities we intend to focus closer attention on material flows and if possible develop these into recycling systems. We also intend to focus closely on local and regional financial flows in the context of local value chains, and develop them along these lines. Moreover we intend to engage intensively with the impacts of climate change, and develop and implement long-term strategies for adaptation. The town must be adapted to changing climatic conditions through measures such as such as fresh air supply, greening and provision of shade.
These guiding principles for climate change mitigation are based on: the town’s guiding principles of 2010, supplemented by the town development goals included in the integrated town development plan of 2012, and updated by the town council on 25 July 2013.
5. Climate change mitigation targets The most important overall indicators for measuring progress in climate change mitigation in countries, towns and cities, and regions are CO 2 emissions, or greenhouse gas emissions expressed as CO 2 equivalents, and overall energy consumption. The table below provides an overview of the German Government’s climate change mitigation targets.
Renewable sources Energy consumption Greenhouse gas Gross final- Primary Electricity- Space Electricity- emissions energy- energy Transport consumption heating consumption consumption consumption 2020 -40% 18% 35% -20% -20% -10% -10% 2030 -55% 30% 50% 2040 -70% 45% 65% -80% 2050 60% 80% -50% -80% -40% -25% to -95% Baseline 1990 2008 2008 2005 2008 year o Exit from nuclear energy by 2022 at the latest o Annual 2.1% increase in final energy productivity from 2008 to 2050 o Doubling of the modernisation rate in the building stock to 2% per annum o Carbon -neutrality of the building stock in 2050
Fig. The quantitative climate change mitigation targets in Germany. Source: Lecture delivered by Dr. Hans-Joachim Ziesing, Senior Policy Advisor, Ecologic Institute, Member of the Commission for Monitoring the Energy Turnaround, 17 July 2012 in Neumarkt i.d.OPf.
The targets which the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. has set itself pursuant to the town council resolution on the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation go beyond the targets that apply Germany-wide, as far as the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is concerned (minus 95 % as opposed to minus 80 %). The percentage of renewables in the electricity generation mix (Germany-wide 80 % by 2050) must also be higher in Neumarkt in order to meet the target. However, the Germany-wide framework already
9 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. defines a clear direction – the decarbonisation of our society, i.e. a (virtually) complete switch to renewables and the optimal utilisation of all potential energy savings.
With regard to space heating the German Government has set a target of an energy saving of 80 % by 2050, which is equivalent to a modernisation rate of 2 % per annum in the building stock. Here too, despite the town’s own Factor 10 funding programme, Neumarkt’s success will depend on the funding opportunities and tax benefits provided by the EU, the federal government and the Bavarian government, and any subsequent revision of these. The 19 local authorities, municipalities and regions, including the town of Neumarkt, that are taking part in the Federal Environment Ministry’s support programme Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation, have all committed to a so-called ‘zero emission strategy’. ‘As well as the territorial emissions, the zero emission strategy also encompasses emissions from the supply path of the energy sources, though not the ecological baggage of goods flows and capital goods. The strategy revolves around optimising the respective territorial energy system by utilising local potential’. (Source: Dr. Hans-Joachim Ziesing, Zero Emission Community, Policy Paper 2010). Consequently, the territorial principle also applies to our Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation, i.e. all consumption that occurs at the level of final energy within the boundaries of the town of Neumarkt will be included, and allocated to the various sectors of consumption. In the context of the Master Plan, the long-term goal of becoming a ‘zero-emission town’ means reducing the total final energy consumption by 50 % and CO 2 emissions by 95 % by the year 2050 (this target was already adopted by the town council on 26 October 2011). To make this target more tangible, on 25 July 2013 the town council adopted interim targets for 2020, 2030 and 2040. We should fundamentally emphasise here that achieving these targets is only realistic if local measures are combined with enabling frameworks at the federal or EU levels (this affects the transport sector in particular). Regarding the definition of the reduction targets it is important to note that the industrial sector is treated separately in the Master Plan, and is not part of the overall target. Finally, the Master Plan also draws comparisons with the targets of the Climate Alliance and the Covenant of Mayors. Unlike the Master Plan the ‘industry’ sector is included here.
The climate change mitigation targets of the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. are basically due to the following alliances and memberships:
• pilot municipality in the Master Plan 100 % support programme (climate change mitigation at the federal level) • member municipality of the Climate Alliance at the international level • signatory to the Covenant of Mayors at the European level • alliance partner of the climate pact of the European Metropolitan Region of Nuremberg
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2020 2030 2040 2050
CO 2 saving 20 % (4) 40 % (4) 82 % (3) 95 % (3) (1,2 and 4: baseline year 1990, 31 % (3) 50 % (2, per 3: baseline year 2011) 52 % (1) capita) 65 % (3) Renewable energy sources as a 80 % (4) percentage of electricity 100 % (3) consumption Reduction in total energy 50 % (3) consumption (baseline year 1990) Reduction in heat consumption 50 % (4) (baseline year 2007)
Fig. Climate change mitigation targets for the town of Neumarkt The numbers in brackets refer to: 1: Covenant (town council resolution of 25 July 2013), 2: Climate Alliance, 3: Master Plan (town council resolution of 25 July 2013), 4: Metropolitan Region of Nuremberg Source: Author’s own compilation.
The table above makes clear that the targets are mainly long-term. However, the targets are not based on the same system because various baseline years are used, and the industrial sector is included in the Covenant of Mayors but has been taken out of the overall target in the Master Plan.
6. The conceptual development of the Master Plan for 100% Climate Change Mitigation
The Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation was prepared by the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. in cooperation with the Energy Agency of Northern Bavaria. The initial draft was produced between August and October 2012 by the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf., the town of Kempten, the Energy Agency of Northern Bavaria and the Energy and Environmental Centre of the Allgäu (eza). The reasoning behind this cooperation between the two Bavarian ‘master plan towns’ was that they wished to keep the steps involved in preparing a master plan comparable, and as such more transparent for other towns and cities. This was their aim particularly in relation to the data analysis, data presentation, monitoring and the presentation of the climate change mitigation scenario for achieving the long-term master plan targets. Beyond that it is interesting to note how the climate change mitigation targets can be achieved via different paths, depending on which preconditions (and constraints) are in place within the town concerned. At this point it is also important to mention that when the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation was being drafted, the strategy paper of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg GmbH was taken as a basis. The content of the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation was designed to meet comprehensive expectations. The Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation is more than just a conventional strategy paper for climate change mitigation. Of course it contains all the key components such as the greenhouse gas/carbon footprint, final energy balance, scenarios and potential, and a monitoring system as well as a list of measures. The Master Plan also pursues a more comprehensive
11 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. approach, and includes for instance topics such as the utilisation of secondary products (e.g. solid waste and waste heat), regional value creation potential, and the activity areas ‘education for sustainable development’ and ‘sustainable lifestyle’. This shows that climate change mitigation is about more than just ‘footprinting’ or developing technical solutions. Methodologically speaking the Master Plan is based on the following logic, developed from the perspective of the actors in Neumarkt who have set out on the path to becoming a carbon-neutral town: • This is where we start baseline data, energy footprint and analysis of the status quo • These are the options available to us: potential opportunities and energy use planning • This is the path we take mitigation targets and climate change mitigation scenario • This is how we intend to go about it strategies and measures • Together we can do it monitoring, communication and PR work.
7. Organisation of municipal climate change mitigation Climate change mitigation is a cross-cutting field of work, because it touches on a wide variety of areas and different actors need to be involved. When the town of Neumarkt was included in the support programme ‘Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation’ in May 2012, a climate change mitigation management structure was established within the Sustainability Office, and a new climate change mitigation manager was employed.
Fig. Structure for municipal climate change management in the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf.
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The diagram shows that the climate change mitigation management structure performs tasks of coordination and networking. In many cases it can also assume a lead role in project implementation (chiefly in the fields of PR work, consulting and education), although holistic climate change mitigation can only be achieved through cooperation with other offices of the town administration, the public utilities, and external actors such as businesses, associations and schools. For providing and developing the ‘hardware’, e.g. renewable energy sources or energy efficient municipal buildings, actors such as the public utilities of Neumarkt and the construction department will play a lead role. The organisational structure for municipal climate change mitigation within the town administration should remain lean overall, but should nevertheless be designed to support implementation. Since the primary aim is to improve the harmonisation and coordination of climate change mitigation measures and drive the new activities forward together, a climate change mitigation strategy team is planned for the implementation phase from autumn 2013 onwards. In this team, representatives of the relevant offices and the public utilities will meet approximately once three months. The climate change mitigation strategy team will have two tasks in particular: further specifying the planned measures, and developing appropriate new proposals based on the monitoring process.
8. Energy and carbon footprint
The final energy and carbon footprint from 1990 to 2007, which was published in 2009, was updated for 2011. The year 2011 is taken as the baseline year for the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation. Unlike the footprint for the period from 1990 to 2007, the emissions caused by electricity are calculated not on the basis of the national electricity mix, but using a local electricity mix for the town of Neumarkt. This mix also reflects local electricity production using combined heat and power generation. The addition of electricity produced in cogeneration plants by including carbon credits, as in the footprint for 2009, is no longer part of the footprint. The emissions generated through the use of cogeneration plants are allocated to both electricity production and heat use as percentages. Footprinting with credits always entailed the problem of assessing district heating. The carbon credits for district heating, and the negative emission coefficients resulting from them, meant that increases in district heat consumption had positive effects on emissions, and that a reduction in consumption brought about by an improvement in the standard of efficiency for the buildings supplied could produce a worse emission footprint. The carbon footprint for the period from 1990 to 2007 was therefore updated using the new emission coefficients, and further developed for the year 2011.
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Final energy +CO 2 (excluding transport )- Town of Neumarkt 1990- - 2050 300.000 1.500.000 2 Energieverbra uch in EnergyMWh 250.000 1.250.000 200.000 1.000.000
Emissionen in t 750.000 150.000
500.000 100.000
-
250.000 50.000 CO
0 0 837.600 1.225.400 1.511.600 1.374.500 1.187.000 931.400 736.100 574.700 1990 2000 2007 2011 2020 2030 2040 2050 electricity gas district heating heating oil coal renewables target value final energy CO2 - emissions
Fig.: Trend in final energy and CO 2 emissions 1990 to 2011; projected to 2050
The forecast to 2050 comprises a summary of the climate change mitigation scenarios for the private household sector, the commerce, trade and services sector, the industrial sector and the municipal consumers sector. The graphic above does not include the transport sector, as the energy footprint for 1990 - 2007 showed only the carbon emissions for this sector. For the transport scenarios to 2050 the field of observation and the method of analysis were also taken from the traffic and transport master plan of the town of Neumarkt. This differs from the system of observation in place up to 2007. In other words, the change of system means that we cannot produce a single continuous analysis of the transport sector from 1990 to 2050. From 1990 energy consumption rises continuously by 80 %, and peaks in 2007. From 2007 to 2011 energy consumption falls by 9 %. The trend in carbon emissions is crucially dependent not only on energy consumption, but also on the energy sources used. Despite a significant increase in consumption from 1990 to 2000, carbon emissions fall due to the massive decline in heating oil consumption and the considerable growth in renewables in the industrial sector. From 2000 to 2007 too, carbon emissions rise far less sharply than consumption, as the proportion of renewables as a percentage of total consumption continues to increase. From 2007 to 2011 carbon emissions then fall less sharply than energy consumption. This results from a higher percentage of fossil fuels, caused by a significant reduction in the industrial use of biomass. The share of renewable sources (including renewable-based CHP) in energy consumption is over 50 %. This is significantly higher than the Bavarian average of 12.5 % (sources: Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology; data on energy supply in Bavaria; July 2013 edition, www.energie.bayern.de; author’s own calculations).
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9. Review of the key areas of activity
a. Energy consulting services for private households Neumarkt offers consulting services through the Building Regulations Office and the Sustainable Development Office. In the course of its general advice on construction matters, the Building Regulations Office also offers integrated energy consulting for private building projects. The Sustainable Development Office incorporates the help desk for energy-efficient construction and modernisation, in conjunction with the Factor 10 funding programme. We should also mention the advisory services of the public utilities in this connection. Two energy consultants are available to provide helpful hints on saving energy both within the existing building stock and when planning new buildings. They show how consumption can be reduced efficiently by changing personal user behaviour, by installing efficient systems engineering or by using energy-saving appliances. Energy consulting services are also provided by the Energy Office of the Administrative District of Neumarkt, which acts as a neutral point of contact for anyone who would like to find out more about potential savings, renewable energy use or existing funding programmes. For communities of need, i.e. people who are receiving unemployment benefit II, income support or housing benefit, an electricity saving check has been available in Neumarkt from the Christliche Arbeiterhilfe (CAH e.V. – a Christian welfare organisation) since 2012. This includes the provision of energy-saving appliances (e.g. energy-saving lamps, multi-sockets) worth up to EUR 70 per household, plus advice given by an electricity saving specialist who helps recipients draw up their own personal electricity saving plan.
b. Financial support for private households The main funding instrument of the town of Neumarkt in the field of energy-efficient construction and modernisation is the ‘Factor 10’ programme. This funding programme is managed and implemented by the help desk for energy-efficient construction and modernisation in the citizens’ office. The programme is based on the funding guidelines of the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. concerning energy saving and climate change mitigation in buildings. Pursuant to the guidelines, building owners can apply for funding from the town for a variety of refurbishment measures such as insulation, thermal glazing and solar energy use. Eligible for support are modernisation measures for both residential and non-residential buildings, and new buildings. Precisely which measures will be subsidised, and how much funding will be provided, is dependent chiefly on the standard of energy efficiency that is achieved by the measures. Particularly intensive support is provided for comprehensive measures offering maximum efficiency. Between February 2010 and July 2013 advice was provided on modernising buildings and energy- efficient construction on the basis of the Factor 10 funding programme on approximately 610 occasions. As at July 2013 a total of 181 applications had been received. The total amount of funding dispersed up to that point was around EUR 645,000. On average, one funded measure is implemented per week.
c. Energy-saving in municipal buildings
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The key measure for saving energy in the town’s own buildings is the central building control system, which was introduced at the Construction Office of the town of Neumarkt in spring 2008. Simply by optimising this control system, i.e. without any structural measures, it has been possible to reduce energy consumption in some of the town’s own properties by an average of 15 %. Regarding structural measures, we should mention by way of example at this point the town’s schools. Between 1994 and 2010 a total amount of EUR 44.8 million was invested in building work for the nine primary and secondary schools, which included energy-efficiency measures. As a result, between 2006 and 2010 it was possible to achieve an average annual energy saving for natural gas of 29 %, which is equivalent to 359 tonnes of CO 2.
d. Energy efficiency through decentralised cogeneration plants The public utilities of Neumarkt operate a cogeneration plant at the open-air swimming pool, which supplies both electricity and heat. On EFA-Strasse and Fohlenhofstrasse the Ritter property management company also operates four small CHP plants fuelled with bio natural gas that supply four apartment buildings with heat and electricity. Furthermore, heating systems have been built by subcontractors on Zimmererstrasse and Dr.-Eberle-Strasse. The town council resolution of 4 December 2012 also tasked the public utilities to press ahead with the development and realisation of local heating supply systems based on renewable energy sources.
e. Energy-saving street lighting In 2010 the public utilities of Neumarkt replaced approximately 2,000 80 W mercury-vapour lamps with 30 W induction lamps across a wide area. The induction lamps have a service life of up to 60,000 hours, and achieve an energy saving of up to 73 %. Furthermore, in 2012 50 street lights in the vicinity of Freystädter Strasse were replaced by new LED lights. Thus first measures have been introduced in Neumarkt to realise potential savings in street lighting. Further measures are being planned.
f. Renewable energy sources Renewable energy sources have now moved high up the agenda in Neumarkt, even though the actual percentages of the various renewable sources within the town currently vary widely. One major focus is biomass use. The Pfleiderer company with its biomass power plant (see below) occupies a dominant position here. Photovoltaic power has undergone a rapid upward swing over the last few years. Solar thermal energy remains very widespread in private households. By contrast, heat pumps play a less significant role. With regard to wind power, although plans and procedures for the construction of several new wind turbines are under way, at present only a single wind turbine is producing electricity that is being fed into the grid in Neumarkt. Furthermore, the town of Neumarkt is currently in a phase of designating priority sites for wind power. Neither deep geothermal energy nor hydropower plays a role in Neumarkt. A glance at the figures for electricity generated from renewable sources at plants in the town that is being fed into the grid bears witness to the fact that Neumarkt has actually got off to a good start. In October 2012, for instance, the electricity being fed into the grid pursuant to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) accounted for 48 % of total energy consumption. In 2012 a total of 139,904 MWh of
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electricity was generated from renewables. This involved 10 biomass/biogas plants with a total capacity of over 21 MWp, 722 photovoltaic systems with a total capacity of 11 MWp and the sewage gas plant at the municipal building yard. Also involved was a wind power plant with a capacity of 2 MW (source: energymap.info). Regarding the aforementioned figures we should emphasise that the largest share is accounted for by the Pfleiderer company’s biomass-fired plant, which was commissioned in 1997. Here, approximately 30,000 tonnes of wood chippings, waste wood, railway sleepers, sawdust and sanding dust are used as fuel, and both heat and electricity is generated (source: www.aet-biomass.de/de/neumarkt.php). The generator has an electrical output of 13 MW and the installed thermal capacity is 73.5 MW (source: information panel at the Pfleiderer energy centre). Over the last few years photovoltaic energy use has undergone a veritable boom in Neumarkt. Whereas in 2008 the installed capacity was still 2.5 MWp, in May 2013 the figure has already reached 13.5 MWp. Both municipal systems and a large number of smaller private systems have contributed to this trend. No doubt the 100 Roofs Plus programme in 2009/2010 was conducive to the installation of private systems here. In this context, in cooperation with the town of Neumarkt, the district crafts association, local banks and an external service provider, a ‘complete PV package’ was developed for the citizens of Neumarkt. This programme alone led to the installation of an estimated capacity of over 1 MW. The key effect of the programme was that it led to the citizens of Neumarkt engaging with the topic in response to the initiative taken by the town. Regardless of whether the citizens then chose the complete package recommended by the town, or a comparable offering, what was ultimately important was the fact that they actually decided to invest in a photovoltaic system. In the 2012/2013 season of the German solar league championship, the town of Neumarkt once again finished high up the table for the medium-sized towns. Out of 266 medium-sized towns, Neumarkt finished 20th with 984 points, moving eight places up the table since the previous season. In May 2013 in total an average of 381.8 watts of solar electricity/inhabitant was achieved in Neumarkt, while the figure for solar heat was 0.2 square metres per inhabitant. When the data were reported to the solar league, approximately 880 solar thermal systems and 770 photovoltaic systems were in operation in Neumarkt. Finally we should emphasise that the town of Neumarkt and the public utilities themselves have erected several PV systems. Not only are there are a number of smaller systems at several schools. There are also larger systems on the roofs of the public utilities building and the municipal building yard. We should also highlight the PV system built in 2012 on an existing noise barrier with a capacity of 1.2 MW, which is 744 metres long and seven metres high. This facility is protecting 800 citizens against noise while at the same time supplying 300 households with electricity. By generating green energy it is preventing the emission of 1,053 tonnes of CO 2 per annum (source: Public Works Office of the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf.).
As well as the local production of energy based on renewable sources, households in Neumarkt also have the option of choosing a green electricity tariff offered by the public utilities. Although this green electricity is not produced locally, it is produced entirely from hydropower. The green electricity tariff is available to both private and business customers. Public municipal buildings and for instance the Jura
17 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. festival are also supplied with this electricity. In 2012, 13 million kWh of electric energy, obtained from hydropower, were procured by the public utilities of Neumarkt.
g. Transport and mobility If we were to draw a circle around the town hall of Neumarkt with a radius of 2.5 km, all the key functions such as housing, work, shopping, leisure, health care and recreation would be contained within it. Approximately 75 % of the total population is located in this area, i.e. 3 out of 4 citizens of Neumarkt are located less than 2.5 km from the old town (as the crow flies), and can therefore reach it easily by bike or on foot. So Neumarkt can certainly be described as a ‘town where distances are short’. In practice, however, this favourable situation has so far not been fully utilised. The transport sector in Neumarkt, for instance, is one of the levers for climate change mitigation that present more difficulty. Two figures from the analysis performed as part of the traffic and transport master plan demonstrate the major importance of personal motorised transport. First of all this mode of transport accounts for 67 % of the modal split in Neumarkt. Secondly, incoming and outgoing traffic play a relatively major role. The analysis performed in 2010 showed that passenger cars accounted for 41 %, and HGVs for 64 %, of incoming and outgoing traffic.
The most important basis for the topic of ‘transport and mobility’ in Neumarkt is the traffic and transport master plan. This master plan was developed in a process lasting approximately 3 years, and was finally adopted by the town council of Neumarkt on 16 May 2013. As a basis the town council selected the scenario to 2025 entitled ‘Equal mobility for all’. This means that equal priority is attached to all modes of transport and transport users, and in view of the dominance of personal motorised traffic today, includes support for the sustainable modes of transport. The traffic and transport master plan is thus a plan for all modes of transport designed to support environmentally sound mobility in Neumarkt. From the outset, the aim was to develop a plan that would facilitate mobility for all, especially for persons of restricted mobility, and allow maximum participation by policy-makers, citizens’ representatives and associations early on in the process.
The specific aims of the traffic and transport master plan are: • promote integrated and sustainable traffic and transport planning • optimise traffic flows • guarantee accessibility • design and manage transport systems that are socially and environmentally sound • reduce traffic and pollutant emissions • increase traffic safety • promote bicycle use • promote public transport • protect natural resources and reduce environmental burdens.
The traffic and transport master plan describes concrete measures to achieve these goals, which are to be implemented by 2025.
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h. Waste water Today, ‘energy from waste water’ is already on the agenda in the town of Neumarkt, and corresponding measures are already being implemented, particularly in the municipal sewage treatment plant. There, three CHP gas engines are being operated by the treatment plant to supply it with electricity and heat by combusting sewage gas. Although the technology, which was installed in 1988, is now largely outdated, more than 50 % of the energy required at the treatment plant is currently being generated on site. The two new gas engines planned to be installed by 2014 with an output of 400 kW each will increase this value to over 90 %. A further feature of the treatment plant is that it uses a heat exchanger to obtain waste heat from the treatment plant to heat the neighbouring greenhouse of the municipal plant nursery. For this purpose, 150,000 kWh of thermal energy are generated per year. We should also mention here the deammonification process that cuts total energy consumption by up to 10 %. As well as the goal of a treatment plant that is self-sufficient in energy, a study was performed this year on the use of waste heat from the sewerage system. Crucial for this use of waste heat is the dry weather flow in the main sewers, which must be 20 to 25 litres throughput per second. The study is included in the energy use plan, so that the potential heat from the sewer can be used as a possible source of energy for future decision-making. It is always crucial in this context to consider possible users in the vicinity of a main sewer. A heat exchanger is used to extract the energy from the waste water, which is then compressed and stored in a medium before being conducted into a building or complex of buildings via a piping system. In 2013 a concrete study of the use of waste heat from the sewerage system was conducted for the first time. As well as identifying all potential in the main sewers of the municipal sewerage system, specific measurements were also taken around Fischergasse/Grünbaumwirtsgasse. Unfortunately the potential heat in this area was not sufficient to be able to supply the envisaged district around the new town hall (including the primary school on Bräugasse and the town archive) with heat energy. However, further detailed investigations are planned for this source of energy. One specific project in which waste heat from the sewer might be harnessed is the planned construction of the year- round swimming pool. i. Sustainable business Quite a few of the more than 3,200 traders in the town have been involved in environmental protection and climate change mitigation for many years. Some of these enterprises are playing a pioneering role, and in addition to the direct savings of CO 2 emissions are making a significant contribution to the ‘environmental and sustainability image’ of the town of Neumarkt. Within the present Master Plan it is not possible at this point to deal specifically with the climate change mitigation engagement of the private sector in Neumarkt, nor is it our intention to do so. This engagement involves sustainable modes of production in which energy is saved and resources conserved. It also involves for instance certain ecological products, as well as environmental technology that is developed and manufactured in Neumarkt. The best way to demonstrate environmental and climate change mitigation management is by referring to an environmental management system that has already been introduced. ISO 14001 is the corporate environmental management standard that is accepted and applied worldwide (source:
19 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. www.umweltbundesamt.de). Neumarkt also has enterprises that are certified to ISO 14001. These are Dehn &Söhne GmbH & Co KG, Delphi Deutschland GmbH, Europoles GmbH & Co KG, Hammerbacher GmbH und Pfleiderer GmbH (source: Landkreis Neumarkt, eds., The administrative district of Neumarkt as a model region in the Bavarian environmental cluster 2008). Pfleiderer GmbH is also certified to the energy management standard ISO 50001. Furthermore, the Neumarkt enterprises eco Kunststoff GmbH & Co KK, Drabant GmbH & Co KG and Haus St. Marien gGmbH are certified to QuB (the Quality Association of Environmentally Aware Businesses), an environmental management system for small and medium-sized businesses. Companies also have the option of obtaining certification to EMAS. EMAS (which is short for Eco- Management and Audit Scheme) was developed by the European Union, and is the most sophisticated system for sustainable environmental management worldwide. According to the official EMAS register, three companies in Neumarkt are currently certified: Bio Berghotel Sammüller, eco Kunststoff GmbH & Co. KG and Neumarkter Lammsbräu, Gebr. Ehrnsperger KG (source: www.emas-register.de). Beyond the EMAS certification, we can certainly highlight the Neumarkter Lammsbräu company, which has won several awards, as a model for sustainable business, particularly in light of the Neumarkter Lammsbräu Sustainability Prize, which was introduced in 2002 and has since become highly renowned. This emerged from the German Environmental Prize, which was won in 2001 by the proprietor of the Lammsbrauerei brewery, Dr. Franz Ehrnsperger. This entrepreneur invested the prize money in a new bottle washing system that consumes less energy and water. Since 2002 he has donated the money he saves – an annual total of EUR 10,000 – to the winners of the sustainability prize (source: www.emas- register.de). As well as the certified environmental achievements, we could cite many examples of the active engagement of businesses in Neumarkt for climate change mitigation. In Neumarkt itself these include: Bionorica AG (company head office built to ecological standards, energy plus building, virtually carbon- neutral), Burgi`s GmbH (sustainability reporting), Hammerbacher GmbH (uses exclusively FSC-certified raw materials), Holzbau Rupprecht (energy-efficient buildings, one of which won the Bavarian Housebuilding Prize), the Max Bögl group (hybrid towers, wind power plants), Petry AG (biomass thermal power plant with local heating network for health centre), Vetter Lufttechnik GmbH 6 Co KG (heat recovery in industrial processes), VARIOTEC GmbH & Co KG (passive house construction, hybrid design of energy-positive homes). In the tourism sector Neumarkt is seeking to reach the hotel and catering industry, and ultimately visitors and tourists in the town, by introducing the ‘Viabono’ certification. This is standardised across Germany and is supported by the Federal Environment Ministry. ‘Viabono’ is designed to certify and promote environmentally sound and low carbon tourism in Germany in a way that is practically feasible and at the same time credible. The requirements imposed by the Viabono quality concept are deliberately highly objectives-oriented, and the certification process elicits information on the following four parameters: (waste) water, solid waste, energy & climate change, and food. As it introduces Viabono the town of Neumarkt is also getting involved financially by subsidising the certification process. So far in the town of Neumarkt, ‘Viabono’ certification has been awarded to Landgasthaus Almhof, Gasthof Wittmann and Kloster St. Josef, and in the administrative district of Neumarkt to Hotel Gewürzmühle in Berching.
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10. Strategies and measures
For the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation of the town of Neumarkt, projects and measures have been put together from a variety of sources. Over the next five years, it is envisaged that these planned measures will create the framework needed to achieve the climate change mitigation targets in accordance with the Master Plan. All 62 projects and measures, which differ widely in terms of size – ranging from the schools project ‘Prima Klima’ (‘Fantastic Climate’) to the erection of new wind power plants – involve the following areas of activity: • education, training and participation • renewable energy sources and energy supply • research and business development • private households • trade, commerce, services and industry • municipal buildings and administration • transport and mobility These areas of activity and the measures they contain do not constitute an entirely new programme of action, but are based on existing strategies approved by the town council (the road map for climate change mitigation, the town’s guiding principles of 2010 and the integrated town development plan of 2012). They are also based on the results produced by working groups and forums (the working group on town marketing, the project group on the biking town, the working group on e-mobility, the Climate Forum), as well as on discussions with key actors in the town (climate change mitigation officer of the town council, construction department, Neumarkt public utilities). Some of the measures are already covered by existing town council or senate resolutions. These have been supplemented by new measures that were either developed by the town’s climate change mitigation management structures, proposed by the Energy Agency of Northern Bavaria or formulated by representatives of the town council and the administration at the public information event held on 14 May 2013. These have been combined to produce a package of measures for implementation.
At the level of implementation the Master Plan is primarily about mainstreaming climate change mitigation more systematically within the town administration as a municipal task, while at the same time taking account of the fact that the town’s offices already have heavy workloads with ongoing projects, particularly in the field of town development. It is therefore important to draw distinctions between the measures, in order to avoid creating the impression that this is an almost unmanageable programme of action. Of the 62 measures and projects listed in the plan of measures, 32 of these activities are already ongoing or have been approved (e.g. the support programme ‘Relearning sustainability’, construction of local cogeneration plants). A further 11 measures are planned to be implemented under the Master Plan through the supported unit. Only 19 of the measures are new projects in which various offices need to be involved. However, here too these are measures that can be integrated into ongoing work (e.g. Green House Number for town buildings, use of LED technology). We certainly should not underestimate the work involved, but there is no alternative to gradually
21 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. mainstreaming climate change mitigation in policy-making and administration. Basically this is less about taking on additional tasks, and more a question of a process through which all those involved will learn to also ‘think about climate change mitigation’ all the time. In other words, whenever they are involved in procurement or construction activities, or organising events, they will come to apply criteria of climate change mitigation in accordance with the CO 2 reduction targets. In the first instance this might still appear to involve more work, but as time goes by a certain routine approach will set in that always attaches the same importance to climate change mitigation as it does to other criteria.
a. Education, training, participation In the activity area ‘education, training and participation’ the town of Neumarkt is relying on various strategies to reach as many citizens as possible. These include attractive events – ranging from the refurbishment meeting through to the sustainability conference –, experience-based participatory activities such as the bicycle tour to energy-efficient buildings, individual consulting as in the funding programme Factor 10, and the creation of incentives through recognition and financial support, including the support programme ‘Relearning sustainability’ and the ‘Prima Klima’ (Fantastic Climate) schools programme. In all these cases an attempt is made to focus on specific target groups such as school students, teachers, associations, businesses or homeowners building their own homes, by developing tailor-made offerings. And of course public relations work is conducted continuously – especially through the dedicated climate change mitigation website www.klimaschutz-neumarkt.de , which has been online since June 2013. This website also brings together all the climate change mitigation activities in the town of Neumarkt.
b. Renewable energy sources and energy supply The key factor in the climate change mitigation scenario for all sectors is the development of electricity generation from renewable sources, chief among which is wind power. Without massive development in this area it will not be possible to achieve a 95 % reduction of CO 2 emissions. The wind turbines should be erected with the involvement of the municipality and/or as citizens’ wind power plants, in order to achieve maximum acceptance among the population. Furthermore, when the heating systems of municipal buildings are replaced we need to explore the possibility of using renewable energy and/or cogeneration plants, and where possible to realise solutions involving a local heating network. Here we need to take account of the declining heat requirement for the buildings. In the long term, local heat networks will only be warranted on the grounds of cost- effectiveness where there is a very dense building structure in conjunction with a ‘bulk consumer’. Where the built environment is less dense, the option of choice will be to supply buildings individually on the basis of renewable energy sources combined with the development of solar thermal power. The use of seasonal storage systems and automatic dishwashers and washing machines with hot water connections can increase the degree of utilisation of solar heating plants. One major potential source of heat is industrial waste heat. Here we will explore options for harnessing this in dialogue with industry.
c. Research and business development
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Attracting research institutions to Neumarkt has been a policy objective of the town for many years. Although first steps have been taken, in particular through the cooperation arrangement with the Technical University of Nuremberg, we cannot say that a research institution has become permanently established in the town. Nonetheless, in October 2012 the town council did make a clear commitment to further developing Neumarkt as a research location and deepening the cooperation with the Technical University of Nuremberg. The strategic aim is to offer a university course with a practical component together with companies in Neumarkt. So far, the focus has been on ‘Sustainable business management’ as part of the business studies course. Neumarkt has also made a promising start in developing specialised tourism in the field of ‘Climate change mitigation and energy’. Today, delegations from Germany and abroad comprising delegates from the fields of politics and business regularly visit the town to find out more about exemplary projects. These activities should be used to develop a permanent and specific tourism offering for ‘Climate change mitigation and energy’. Local companies should be involved in this.
d. Private households
In 2011 the private household sector was responsible for 26 % of energy consumption and 40 % of CO 2 emissions in Neumarkt. The energy consumption of the sector is divided up across three areas. The largest proportion of energy is required for heating buildings (78 %), followed by electricity use (14 %) and energy consumption for hot water supply (8 %). Regarding the heating of buildings, the necessary reductions can be achieved by modernising the building shell and optimising the heating technology. The technologies and materials needed are available and have been tried and tested many times. For each building and component, however, only a single refurbishment can be cost-effective. If an element is modernised at a medium level, the savings to be anticipated from a second, higher quality modernisation are so low that the measure will not be cost-effective, and in all probability will not be carried out. It will then no longer be possible to realise the necessary increases in efficiency. Ultimately, modernisation measures that are not high quality are counter-productive to achieving the climate change mitigation targets. The most important aspect when modernising residential buildings is the quality and not the rate of modernisation. The remaining heating requirement must be met chiefly from renewable sources. In dense areas this can be achieved using district and local heating networks based on renewable source cogeneration, whereas in less built- up areas this can be achieved using ambient heat and solid biomass. As temperature rise, cooling buildings by technical means cannot be the solution of choice. A high level of thermal insulation for the building shell, low interior burdens due to efficient electric appliances and exterior shade facilities will make the cooling of residential buildings superfluous. The potential for efficiency with regard to hot water supply is significantly lower than is the case with the building shell. To a certain extent savings can be made by increasing efficiency. The climate change mitigation scenario assumes that sufficiency gains will be made through the more economical and conscious use of hot water. A significant proportion of the energy must be provided as solar thermal energy. With regard to electricity use, improved technologies for lighting and electrical appliances harbour massive potential for improving efficiency. These must not be cancelled out by raised expectations concerning the number and performance of appliances. The reduction in electricity consumption
23 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. calculated in the climate change mitigation scenario will only be made possible by responsible user behaviour and the avoidance of superfluous electricity use.
e. Trade, commerce, services and industry
In 2011 trade, commerce and services were responsible for 29 % of energy consumption and 49 % of CO 2 emissions. The largest energy consumers within the sector were building heating at 53 %, and process heat at 26 %. Electricity consumption is determined largely by lighting, and office and communication applications. These account for 17 % of energy consumption. The strategies to reduce consumption around buildings are the same as those for private households, although in the trade, commerce and services sector the same level of importance is often not attached to this section of consumption as it is in private households, Also, significantly higher requirements are placed on the cost effectiveness of modernisation measures here than is the case with private households. Nevertheless, here too the same principle applies that the quality of modernisation is significantly more important than a high rate of modernisation. Modernisation measures that are not carried out to the highest quality standards prevent achievement of the needed increases in efficiency. With regard to production energy the climate change mitigation scenario assumes increases in efficiency of around 25 %, to be achieved by systematically harnessing existing potential, but also including technological innovations and future developments. Particular importance is attached to electricity use (lighting, office and communication), because as well as gains in efficiency this also means a reduction of interior burdens and also of any cooling burdens. The cooling and air conditioning of office premises should be avoided. The ingress of solar heat must be limited by structural measures. Heat will be supplied via district and local heat networks based on renewable or biomass cogeneration plants. Only marginal use will be made of fossil fuels (5 %). Suitable roof areas and unsealed surfaces (car parks, storage areas) will be used to generate electricity through photovoltaic systems (with personal energy use).
In Neumarkt the industrial sector is responsible for 60 % of energy consumption and 35 % of CO 2 emissions. Compared to trade, commerce and services this sector uses even more production heat and less energy for heating buildings. In cases where a significant waste heat potential is available, efficiency measures in buildings are not lucrative. Nevertheless, waste heat should be seen not as a waste product, but as a potential source of energy that should be put to the best possible use. Harnessing the potential of industrial waste heat is an important aspect in the industrial sector. This has not yet been included in the existing scenarios, as the industrial enterprises concerned still have to be involved. The majority of energy required in the industrial sector will be provided by biomass cogeneration plants. Efficiency measures in the production sector will usually be implemented for reasons of cost effectiveness. Production heat will be delivered largely through biomass. Additional heat required can be provided through bio natural gas. In the future particular importance will be attached to power generation, whether this involves cogeneration plants (as is already the case now) or PV systems on roofs and sealed areas.
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f. Municipal consumers and administration The town of Neumarkt is pursuing a strategy of acting as a role model within its own sphere of influence, by modernising its own buildings to high quality standards and ensuring that new building projects meet the highest possible standards of energy efficiency. Furthermore, climate change mitigation standards are to be made automatic in procurement, and be accorded at least equivalent weighting to other decision-making criteria for purchasing – including environmentally friendly office equipment, energy- saving IT technology and low-consumption vehicles. Municipal buildings are a central area of municipal energy consumption. As well as direct energy savings and reduction of CO 2 emissions, highly energy-efficient modernisation measures can also set an example for modernisation by citizens of Neumarkt. Efficiency gains in the building pool are determined by two requirements. First of all, municipal energy management must activate potential for efficiency that requires low investment. The necessary financial and human resources must be made available for this purpose. Secondly, buildings must be modernised to the highest standard of energy efficiency. Here the quality of modernisation is more important than the rate of modernisation. Within the period to 2050, each element will be modernised only once. Energy-efficient modernisation outside of the modernisation cycles necessary for building maintenance is not cost-effective. If a part of the building is modernised, it should be modernised to the highest standard that makes sense. If this is not yet financially warranted, decision-makers should consider whether the modernisation should be deferred. Modernisation measures carried out to mediocre standards prevent subsequent modernisation to higher standards, and are counter-productive with regard to achieving the climate change mitigation targets. The highest standard that makes sense must be defined on a case-by-case basis. The supply of heat to municipal buildings should be guaranteed wherever possible on the basis of renewables or cogeneration plants. In this context, town properties can become the starting point for a local heat network.
g. Transport and mobility To achieve the climate change mitigation targets we need to do three things. First of all, inefficient car usage needs to be reduced massively. This can be achieved by strengthening public transport, bike traffic and pedestrian traffic. A contribution, though one which is difficult to quantify, will be made by sufficiency, i.e. doing without mobility. With regard to freight transport, inefficiency can be reduced by optimising vehicle loads or avoiding empty journeys, but only when economic necessity is conducive to these goals. A reduction in freight traffic based on a regional economic policy is a desirable goal, but would require a fundamental adjustment of our economic system, and there is no sign of that happening as yet. The development of e-mobility is a core aspect of the climate change mitigation scenario. Here the municipality can set an example with its own vehicles, in order to encourage private citizens to do likewise.
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11. Prospects The Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation is more than an update of the climate change mitigation road map published in 2009. For the first time, a harmonised ‘road map’ has been identified for Neumarkt i.d.OPf. that is designed to enable the town to become a carbon-neutral community on a local scale. This is a long-term goal, and an extremely ambitious one. On the one hand the Master Plan aims to deliver answers to questions associated with the supply of electricity and heat and the mobility behaviour envisaged for 2050. This is made clear particularly by the scenarios developed by the Energy Agency of Northern Bavaria. On the other hand, the Master Plan cannot forecast development precisely, because the period under consideration – 2011 to 2050 – encompasses almost four decades. Factors such as technological progress, changing political frameworks or new scientific findings could either slow down the ‘Master Plan scenario for Neumarkt’, or give it a boost. Furthermore, although there are manifold options for action at the local level in Neumarkt, key ‘levers’ for climate change mitigation such as federal funding programmes, laws at the regional, federal or EU level, the acceptance of new technologies or lifestyle changes require a national or international change process, both among decision-makers and among citizens. The area of activity ‘lifestyle/sufficiency’ raises very many questions, For instance, a master plan cannot draw up a carbon footprint for the food and goods required by the inhabitants of Neumarkt, because in a globalised world the production chains are largely untransparent, and in this case it is the ‘power of the consumer’ that decides whether consumption will be more or less sustainable. Yet the commercial enterprises that produce all kinds of products for us and provide us with services also bear responsibility. Here too, globalisation will ensure that effective climate change mitigation will ultimately only succeed if it is harmonised and promoted accordingly at the national and even at the international level. Despite or because of these difficult overarching and global dependencies the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation is a step in the right direction, because together with other master plan municipalities in Germany, cooperation with the federal level (in this case the Federal Environment Ministry) can lead to the development of a model through which the energy turnaround in Germany can actually succeed. A further crucial factor will also be the extent to which the actors responsible are able to raise citizens’ awareness of this process, and ultimately also involve them. The contribution made by Germany’s local authorities should not be underestimated, because people feel the effects of climate change most acutely at the local level. In Neumarkt the decision-makers and responsible administrators have mobilised, and drawn up the Master Plan. The town council resolution on the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation has laid an important cornerstone for this. Nonetheless, this basic resolution is no substitute for the specific resolutions needed (see the relevant wording of the town council resolution of 25 July 2013 below). A great deal still needs to be discussed and decided on at the policy-making level. Other items are already being implemented or at least being planned. We now need to permanently mainstream climate change mitigation as a cross-cutting task of town policy-making and administration, so that we can bring the Master Plan to life, continue updating it and incorporate new developments. The town’s structures for managing climate change mitigation will play a lead role in this process, and perform continuous monitoring. At the level of implementation, the structures are tasked to moderate, to pool, to coordinate and above all to perform PR work, by highlighting opportunities for participation
26 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf.
and providing advisory and consulting services. Given the cross-cutting nature of the Master Plan, various offices of the town administration and especially the public utilities will be among the key actors for implementation. This should be seen as a joint task involving teamwork, which should be performed in this spirit. Finally, it is crucial to remember that the long time frame to 2050 should not tempt us to delay implementation. Of course it goes without saying that limited human and financial resources may mean that it is not possible to begin implementing everything all at once, and that in some situations it may even make sense to wait. For instance, it may be preferable to conduct the envisaged modernisation of a building in a few years time, if the time, money and managerial options available at that point will mean that the modernisation can then be performed to a higher standard of quality (as opposed to a more mediocre standard at present). Nonetheless, provided that the municipal actors possess the appropriate leverage, they should take important steps as of now to create an enabling environment for climate change mitigation in Neumarkt. The Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation maps out the path to achieving this.
Wording of the resolution of the town council of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. on 25 July 2013:
Within the federal funding programme of the same name, the town council of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. hereby adopts the ‘Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation’ for the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf., And appeals to the federal level to support implementation on the ground by creating an appropriate enabling environment. The Master Plan of the town of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. comprises the following core elements:
Guiding principles for climate change mitigation: The climate change mitigation objectives contained in the town’s guiding principles of 2010 shall be combined with the relevant objectives of the integrated town development plan of 2012. Supplemented by further elements, these will form the updated guiding principles for climate change mitigation of 25 July 2013 entitled ‘Neumarkt – Our contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation’.
Reduction targets: Based on the Neumarkt climate change mitigation scenario, with respect to the long- term climate change mitigation targets approved by the town council on 26 October 2011 – reduction of total final energy consumption by 50 % and reduction of CO 2 emissions by 95 % by the year 2050 – we aim to achieve the following interim targets in our carbon footprint in relation to the baseline year of 2011 (not including industry):
- By 2020 reduction of CO 2 emissions by 31 %.
- By 2030 reduction of CO 2 emissions by 65 %
- By 2040 reduction of CO 2 emissions by 82 %. We also aim to achieve the following target, which was harmonised with the Master Plan within the framework of the ‘Covenant of Mayors’ (including the industrial sector).
- By 2020 reduction of CO 2 emissions by 52 % (baseline year 1990)
27 Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation – Municipality of Neumarkt i.d.OPf.
Planned measures: To achieve the climate change mitigation targets within the framework of the Master Plan, concrete measures must be implemented on a wide variety of levels. To this end the implementation phase will set the wheels in motion on the basis of the planned measures. The measures listed will be translated into a plan of implementation, with appropriate responsibility remaining with the relevant lead actors. Depending on the financial scope of the measures concerned, and human resources and time available, adjustments may be necessary that require specific resolutions by the town council or a senate concerning the prioritisation of projects.
Monitoring: The climate change mitigation process in the town of Neumarkt will be continuously monitored in relation to indicators that will be measured quantitatively. A special system of indicators will be developed for this, and the relevant data will be collected on a regular basis. This will allow developments in the municipal climate change mitigation activities to be monitored, so that any necessary adjustments to the measures can be made in good time.
Climate change mitigation management and strategy team: The town’s climate change mitigation management structures in the Sustainable Development Office are hereby mandated to coordinate implementation, monitoring and updating of the Master Plan. Furthermore, an inter-departmental climate change management strategy team will be formed in the town administration to guarantee long- term mainstreaming.
The administration is hereby instructed to take the next steps in preparing and implementing the Master Plan for 100 % Climate Change Mitigation in accordance with the aforementioned core elements. (…)
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