GPP Issue no. 24 News-Alert October 2012

Interview: sets ambitious targets

Rainer Ernst, Head of the Agency The advantage for us is that we only pay a monthly rate instead for Construction and Property of having to front the whole investment for this energy efficient in Emmendingen Municipality, system. Also, we recently finished the construction of a new administrative Emmendingen is located in the Black building. It uses 40% less energy than the mandatory threshold Forest region of South West Germany of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. We are and comprised of 24 towns and therefore going beyond current regulations to set our own communities with a population of standard. GPP forms an important part of our work, for example around 160,000. The District has put in this case we use timber pellets as a sustainable energy source into place an ambitious GPP programme, which includes for our heating system. setting rigorous energy reduction and renewables targets as part of its cooperation with a newly established energy Another success story has been creating a new post for an region. energy engineer who exclusively works on improving energy efficiency and different energy options for our tendering. He What is the Municipality’s approach to GPP and how is it has used his knowledge to support us in setting up tenders supported politically? that really promote energy efficiency and reduce costs, so it has been well worth investing the time and financial resources. In Around two years ago we developed standard terms and fact, everybody here agrees that a significant amount of money conditions which are used by all procurers for every tender. can be saved through GPP, in the short and long term. Our They include clauses on the careful use of natural resources, investments have definitely paid off! as well as social considerations, such as respecting the ILO core criteria. The standard terms and conditions were What are Emmendingen Municipality’s GPP plans for the modelled on those created by our neighbouring City, future? . Fortunately, we had high level support with this. In fact, it was our Municipal Councillors who first suggested One step we are making in the near future is purchasing hydro- introducing GPP criteria into our everyday procurement. electricity for all our municipal buildings and traffic lighting from 2013 onwards. We are in very close contact with the Municipal Council, which allows procurers and Council representatives to have More significantly, together with the City of Freiburg and informal and fruitful exchanges. The close relationship has surrounding municipalities, we are forming the “- meant that we have been able to implement GPP relatively Hochschwarzwald” energy region. Within this energy region quickly and without significant opposition. The overall cooperation, we aim to reduce energy consumption by 50% in political encouragement has enabled us to mainstream GPP public and private buildings and source the remaining 50% from throughout the organisation. renewable sources. For the most part, the energy reduction will have to be achieved by renovating private houses to optimise Have there been any particular success stories in energy efficiency. implementing GPP? Even with these ambitious plans however, we realise that we We have made real progress in regards to the energy efficiency cannot be complacent – every time we think we have made a of our buildings. For example, the Municipal Council recently significant achievement, we realise that much more can be still approved the tendering of an energy-delivery contract be done! for Emmendingen’s hospital. This involves contracting a company to build and maintain the heating and cooling Contact: Ulrich Spitzmüller (u.spitzmueller@landkreis- system for the hospital within stringent environmental emmendingen.de). parameters concerning energy use and carbon emissions.