European Parliament 2014-2019
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
16.9.2016
MISSION REPORT
following the ENVI Mission to Regionalverband Ruhr/Essen, Germany
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Members of the mission: Renate Sommer (EPP) (Chair of the mission) György Hölvényi (EPP) Paul Brannen (S&D) Eleonora Evi (EFDD)
CR\1104413EN.docx PE589.288v01-00
EN United in diversity EN Composition of the delegation
The European Parliament decided to send an ENVI mission to Essen from 19 to 21 September 2016.
The Members were: Ms Renate Sommer (EPP) as Chair of the mission, Mr György Hölvényi (EPP), Mr Paul Brannen (S&D) and Ms Eleonora Evi (EFDD).
The aim of this delegation was to look at climate action and sustainability at a local level in the Ruhr region, visiting different projects and meeting local representatives. The city of Essen has won the European Green Capital Award for 2017 and has developed many projects of sustainable transformation of the city and local economy.
Members were accompanied by Ms Tihana Vujatovic and Ms Nina Neumann from the Secretariat of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). The Group agent accompanying Members was Mr Fabrizio Fabbri (EFDD).
Preparation
The Secretariat provided the participants with a comprehensive information package including the mission programme and meetings locations as well as practical arrangements.
The Policy Department prepared a briefing on The Sustainable Transformation of the Ruhr Region - the Example of Essen in order to provide contextual information and examples of concrete sustainability initiatives. This facilitated Members’ work ahead of and during the mission.
Summary account of meetings
Monday 19 September
City of Essen
The activities of the ENVI mission started with a meeting with Mr Thomas Kufen, Mayor of the City of Essen and Mrs Simone Raskob, Environment Councillor of the City of Essen who presented the work behind the candidacy of Essen for the title of European Green Capital 2017, the competition process and the city and region’s main sustainability initiatives.
Essen is the second biggest city of the Ruhr region (after Dortmund) with 574 000 inhabitants. The city committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 40% by 2020 and 95% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels, which exceeds the regional target. It is also striving to meet the World Health Organisation’s guideline levels for PM10 and NO2 by 2035, which are stricter than European Union goals.
It is worth noting that the region’s and city’s approach to sustainability is based on a comprehensive vision addressing various areas of environmental protection and climate action (e.g. transport, air quality, biodiversity, noise reduction, resource and energy efficiency, and waste and water management). Projects mentioned included the flagship Emscher river renaturalisation, community gardens and allotment gardens or “Schule Natur”, a pilot project
PE589.288v01-00 2/12 CR\1104413EN.docx EN of outdoor primary school classes comprising environmental education.
Awareness raising, communication with citizens and citizen engagement have been instrumental in developing such projects. For example, the initiative “Mein Baum für Essen” (My Tree for Essen) has enabled the planting of 20 000 trees on the city’s streets thanks to online crowd funding. Voluntary waste clean-up events are also organised with high involvement from citizens.
On a related note, the environmentally sustainable renovation of urban areas most often includes a social component via projects such as revitalising lower-income neighbourhoods with the support of public-private partnerships. In a financially challenging context, such initiatives often benefit from a combination of funding mechanisms and financial streams supplied by different levels of government, including EU funds, and supported by private investment.
The city has built on its experience of 2010 European Culture Capital in order to showcase how a city which was shaped by industrial sites and has suffered as a result of coal mining and industrialisation has successfully managed a transformation into a green and environmentally friendly service-oriented urban area. Furthermore, it was emphasised that the Ruhr region is composed of interconnected cities with a century-long tradition of cooperation and which have undergone massive reconversion of former industrial sites through the development of different sustainability projects which have supported the European Green Capital candidacy. Due to the rules on the European Green Capital award process, regional applications are however not accepted. Essen is also active on national and international level through active participation to networks dedicated to climate action (e.g. Covenant of Mayors, Local Governments for Sustainability, energy efficient cities’ competition at German federal level).
Members were particularly interested in the cooperative relationship between the cities and across political parties in the Ruhr region and the financing mechanisms - including EU funds - used to set up the variety of presented projects. This first meeting provided a comprehensive overview of different policies and concrete projects, thus setting the context for the remainder of the mission.
Krupp Park in Essen
Members then visited the Thyssenkrupp headquarters in Essen and mainly the Krupp-Park guided by Mr Ingo Herbrand, Head of Transaction Management, Mrs Burcu Yildiz, Project Manager, Transaction Management, and Mr Stefan Wolter, Managing Director Real Estate, ThyssenKrupp Business Services GmbH.
The Krupp Belt is a 230 hectare former Krupp steel plant site which has been restored after the steel plant’s dismantling in the late 20th century. It now serves as a multi-purpose living, business and leisure area. It links the lower-income Altendorf district to the city centre and its main feature, the Krupp-Park, has been landscaped with a view to creating an attractive urban space for leisure and stimulating biodiversity.
The ENVI delegation was the first group to follow this guided tour of the park, prepared in view of the European Green Capital activities. Members were shown the new urban landscape created on the former Krupp steel plant site, energy-efficient office buildings and the transformation of the former train track “Rheinische Bahn” into a bicycle track. Although part
CR\1104413EN.docx 3/12 PE589.288v01-00 EN of the works are not yet completed, the guided walk proved to be instructive for observing how that large site is being redesigned, especially in comparison with its previous purpose and state. Members raised questions on further developments foreseen for the near future.
Bäcker Peter in Essen
Later that day, Members paid a visit to “Bäcker Peter”, a family-run bakery employing approximately 480 people that has benefited from advice by “Ökoprofit”. “Ökoprofit” is a local government project advising enterprises on resource efficiency by integrating ecological targets in the participating companies’ production while simultaneously increasing their competitiveness.
Mr Sebastian Peter, Human Resources Manager, explained how Ökoprofit has been crucial for enabling his family’s small business to embark on a resource-efficient path. The company’s award-winning energy system uses for example an air compression unit and special ovens enabling a reduction of the energy used in the production process. The bakery’s buildings correspond to passive house standards, a policy implemented from their first building. The use of local products free from artificial flavours and from preservatives, the principle of transparency and social commitment through the financing for example of monthly projects are all elements of the company’s environmental and social policy. As regards food waste, most of the unsold products are sold to pig farmers and fed to pigs from which the farmers make inter alia sausages for Bäcker Peter products. Some unsold products are donated to the poor.
Members expressed interest in different elements of the company’s comprehensive approach. Inter alia, they asked their host about the functioning and rolling out of the energy-efficient infrastructure at small enterprise level and paying off of the initial investment.
Allotment garden Kuhlhoffstraße in Essen
The delegation’s activities of the first day ended with a visit of the allotment garden site “Kuhlhoffstraße”, guided by Mr Peter Schadowski, President of the allotment garden association “Kuhlhoffstraße”, and accompanied by several members of the association. Members were given the opportunity to observe how green infrastructure is managed by citizens and to witness a beekeeper’s work. The beekeeper stated that, in his experience, beehives situated in allotment gardens produce more honey than beehives situated next to farmland cultivated with crops in monoculture. Members engaged directly with citizens and asked both general questions on the organisation and allocation of such allotments, the surface and maintenance as well as more specific queries on vegetable gardens and sustainable honey production.
Tuesday 20 September
KlimaExpo.NRW in Gelsenkirchen
In the morning, the delegation met Dr Heinrich Dornbusch, CEO of KlimaExpo.NRW, who presented various climate protection initiatives in North Rhine-Westphalia. The region of North Rhine-Westphalia launched the initiative in 2014 as a showcase of innovative projects and a laboratory for new ideas in the fields of climate change adaptation and mitigation. KlimaExpo will host a variety of events over a period of 8 years (until 2022).
PE589.288v01-00 4/12 CR\1104413EN.docx EN The Expo aims to be a decentralised, continuous and sustainable type of exhibition and to generate 1 000 projects in 4 thematic fields: rethink energy, saving resources, enhancing communities and shaping mobility. KlimaExpo.NRW has a strong relationship with its partners, including the Regionalverband Ruhr. As regards selection criteria for projects, climate change adaptation/mitigation are key but an important emphasis is also placed on the degree of innovation. A variety of organisations can take part in KlimaExpo.NRW (e.g. businesses, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, and other associations including for example churches). The Expo is mapping out the projects which can be consulted via a database. Examples of projects mentioned include:
-“Lippewerk Lünen”: a centre for industrial recycling produces pre-products for industry from industrial and household waste, converts waste and residual materials into fuels, prepares biomass used as an energy source in power plants. Approximately 416 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are saved annually.
- “Too good for the bin”: a project focussed on efficient handling of food products by the “Akademisches Förderungswerk” (Academic support foundation) - Bochum at four university canteens has enabled a reduction of food waste by 25 %, reducing the amount of waste by almost 15 cubic metres per year.
Dr. Michael Walther, project manager,, title replied to the Members’ questions on the selection criteria for projects and provided details on a number of specific projects in the Ruhr area.
Friedrich Lohmann GmbH in Witten and Effizienz-Agentur NRW
Later in the morning, Members visited Friedrich Lohmann GmbH, a factory for special & high alloyed steel located in Witten. Mr Friedrich Lohmann-Voß, Managing Director, presented the company’s range of products, environmental policy, energy consumption and recent improvements it has made to its processes. The introduction of a vaccuum degassing machine and innovative pump systems, partially financed through the EU’s regional development funds, has enabled important CO2 emissions’ savings as well as process optimisation and the development of additional high quality niche products.
Mr Rolf Unger, Head of Sales (Steel Bars), Mr Rainer Aust, Deputy Head of Quality Control, and Mr Roland Müller, Head of Environmental and Safety Management, provided additional insight and answered questions on the company’s yearly emissions of greenhouse gases and interaction with applicable Union policies.
Mr Jahns, Director of Effizienz-Agentur NRW, presented the functioning of that regional agency promoting resource efficiency through a wide range of counselling services, financial support and training for companies. The agency has been collaborating with Friedrich Lohmann GmbH since 2002. Mr Ingo Menssen, Head of Events, and Mrs Ilona Dierschke, Advisor for Resource Efficiency, assisted Mr Jahns in answering the Members’ questions which focussed on the structure of public-private partnerships coordinated by the Effizienz-Agentur NRW.
The discussions were followed by a guided visit of the factory.
Zeche Mont-Cenis in Herne
In the afternoon, the delegation visited “Zeche Mont-Cenis”, a former coal mine site in the
CR\1104413EN.docx 5/12 PE589.288v01-00 EN city of Herne, transformed into an academy site and energy park. During a guided walk, Ms Ulrike Martin, representing the City of Herne, Building Management, and Mr Stephan Becker, Project Manager at the municipal utility “Stadtwerke Herne”, provided extensive explanations on the conversion of the site into a pioneer building with large roof-integrated solar energy plant, the activities of “Akademie Mont-Cenis” and the development and functioning of a block heating station powered by mine gas.
Members asked many questions about the building structure and the practical challenges of safely accessing and using mine gas for sustainable energy production.
Eltingviertel in Essen
The day ended with a presentation of InnovationCity Ruhr, a concept for climate-friendly city conversion, and its project Eltingviertel by Mr Gernot Pahlen, Project Manager at Innovation City Management GmbH. The objective of the InnovationCity project is to simultaneously improve the quality of life in and the sustainability of city districts. Privately managed companies and a network of scientific institutes and public authorities work together on the implementation of the InnovationCity concept. The pilot project of InnovationCity in the neighbouring city of Bottrop included the installation of micro combined heat and power systems, thus combining decentralised energy and connections to the existing global network. It has generated a housing modernisation rate of 3% per year, as opposed to the 0.8 % German average. The particularity of the pilot project was its bottom-up approach involving citizens, which has led to job creation. 20 additional innovation cities are planned to be rolled out in the Ruhr area, including Eltingviertel where the conversion is already in progress.
Specific comments on the development of Eltingviertel from the perspective of the housing association Vonovia were provided by Mr Arnd Fittkau, Director of Region West at Vonovia, Ralf Feuersenger and other Vonovia representatives. Members were particularly interested in how infrastructural problems are being addressed and how private owners and inhabitants are integrated into such projects. The programme ended with a guided walk through the Eltingviertel which enabled the delegation to witness the ongoing climate-friendly transformation of existing housing first hand.
Wednesday 21 September
Green Infrastructure Ruhr - Phoenix sites in Dortmund
The ENVI mission programme ended with guided walks of the Phoenix West site, a technology center under development on a former blast furnace site, and Lake Phoenix, a new urban and environmental development on a former steel factory site.
After setting the historical and socio-economic context of the long-term structural change in the region, Mr Michael Schwarze-Rodrian, Head of Unit for European and Regional Networks, Ruhr Regional Association presented the concept of “Green Infrastructure Ruhr”. The Emscher Landscape Park is located in the midst of agglomerations and concerns over 400 projects targeting abandoned industrial sites and settlements (e.g. Landscape Park Duisburg North, Rheinpark). It aims at connecting biotopes along the Emscher and to provide new ways to explore the riverside and region such as bicycle paths and redesigned bridges. In connection with this, the ongoing renewal of the Emscher river to be completed by 2020 was also presented.
PE589.288v01-00 6/12 CR\1104413EN.docx EN A tributary of the Rhine, the 80 km long river was supplying the coal-mining region with freshwater and was used for decades as an open-air wastewater depot. Resulting hygiene-related problems prompted the creation of the “Emschegenossenschaft” (Emscher Cooperative) already in the late 19th century. More recently, the Cooperative worked on preventing the contamination of the Rhine and later on rebuilding the Emscher whole river system and its tributaires. Another example of an infrastructure project is the regional bicycle network under development, including “Radschnellweg Ruhr” (RS1), a bicycle highway connected to a network of more local pathways.
Mr Michael Lenkeit, responsible for location development at the City of Dortmund, provided extensive explanations on the above-mentioned particular projects of long-term industrial transformation, including the different stages of the revitalisation works. Part of the Phoenix West site has become a historical monument due to contamination issues; the contamination has been contained, but still makes part of the site unfit for construction. A “sky walk” built across the site offers a full view of the former plant’s surface and reconstruction. Some of the old factory building facades have been renovated to the highest standards but remain to be repurposed to new use. For example, one of the buildings is going to be transformed into a concert hall.
During the Phoenix Lake tour, the delegation witnessed a vibrant multi-purpose urban area consisting of businesses, leisure activities and green and residential spaces. The renovation of social housing in the vicinity of the former steel plant was integrated into the project. The lake was built on the location of a former blast furnace and steel plant site of ThyssenKrupp. The development of the new recreational area including pedestrian and bicycle paths, sporting activities and a marina is one of the largest urban development projects in Germany. Members had the occasion to witness the re-naturalisation of the Emscher river, which used to flow under the steel factory site.
Questions were raised on a broad variety of topics ranging from technical aspects of the renovation and decontamination of both industrial sites to renewal of the river system and further developments foreseen for the future.
CONCLUSIONS
The cities of the Ruhr metropolis have built on decades of close cooperation in order to successfully address environmental and socio-economic challenges linked with its industrial past. The European Green Capital is an opportunity not only for the city of Essen but also for the Ruhr area as a whole to showcase a wide spectrum of sustainable transformation projects developed at different scales by a variety of actors.
The approach to environment policy and urban transformation is multi-level, ranging from stringent local climate targets to participation in regional, federal and international networks and initiatives. Additionally, a constant across many of the showcased projects is the operative combination of local, regional, national and EU funding with the support of private investment. The extensive use of public-private partnerships coupled with strong expertise in the fields of environment, climate change adaptation and mitigation and urban transformation have been key levers in fostering innovation and enabling the transition to a sustainable and green urban area.
CR\1104413EN.docx 7/12 PE589.288v01-00 EN Particular attention is paid to transparent and continuous communication with the citizens with a view to triggering their direct involvement in improving public health and quality of life. It was concluded that the best practices developed in the Ruhr region can be of great value to other European regions which are facing similar problems. The successful initiatives rolled out in the region can also serve as a strong indicator of the crucial role of local authorities in protecting the environment and fighting against climate change, as exemplified inter alia by their ambition level and results achieved so far.
Annex - Mission Programme
Monday, 19 September 2016
Individual arrivals and individual transfers from airport/train station to the hotel
Morning Holiday Inn Express Thea-Leymann-Strasse 11 45127 Essen http://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/essen/essdl/hoteldetail
Bus transfer to the office of European Green Capital - Essen 2017
12.30 - 13.00 Projektbüro „Grüne Hauptstadt Europas - Essen 2017“ Alfred-Herrhausen-Haus Brunnenstr. 8 45128 Essen
Meeting with Mr Thomas Kufen, Mayor of the City of Essen 13.00 - 14.30 Mrs Simone Raskob, Environment Councillor of the City of Essen
Topic: Essen - European Green Capital 2017
Bus transfer to Thyssenkrupp headquarters
14.30 - 15.00 thyssenkrupp AG thyssenkrupp Allee 1 45143 Essen
Visit of Thyssenkrupp headquarters & Krupp-Park, guided by Mr Ingo 15.00 - 16.30 Herbrand, Head of Transaction Management, Mrs Burcu Yildiz, Project Manager, Transaction Management, and Mr Stefan Wolter, Managing Director Real Estate; thyssenkrupp Business Services GmbH
PE589.288v01-00 8/12 CR\1104413EN.docx EN - new urban landscape on a former Krupp steel site - energy-efficient office buildings - transformation of the former train track “Rheinische Bahn”
Topics: Sustainable transformation of industrial sites Energy-efficient office buildings Green infrastructure
Bus transfer to company “Bäcker Peter”
16.30 - 17.00 Peter Backwaren OHG Zur Schmiede 13 45141 Essen
Visit of “Bäcker Peter”, family-run bakery that has benefited from “Ökoprofit” (local government project advising enterprises on resource efficiency), guided by Mr Sebastian Peter, Human Resources Manager at 17.00 - 18.00 Bäcker Peter
Topic: Resource efficiency at enterprise level (SME)
18.00 - 18.15 Bus transfer to allotment garden site “Kuhlhoffstraße”
Visit of allotment garden site “Kuhlhoffstraße”, guided by Mr Peter Schadowski, President of the allotment garden association “Kuhlhoffstraße” 18.15 - 18.45
Topic: Green infrastructure managed by citizens
18.45 - 19.00 Bus transfer to the hotel
Tuesday, 20 September 2016
8.30 Meeting in the hotel lobby
Bus transfer to the KlimaExpo.NRW in Gelsenkirchen 8.30-9.00 Expo Fortschrittsmotor Klimaschutz GmbH Munscheidstr. 14 45886 Gelsenkirchen
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Presentation on climate protection initiatives in North Rhine-Westphalia and 9.00 - 10.30 the Ruhr area by Dr Heinrich Dornbusch, CEO of the KlimaExpo.NRW
Bus transfer to Friedrich Lohmann GmbH, Witten
10.30 - 11.00 Friedrich Lohmann GmbH Ruhrtal 2 58456 Witten-Herbede
Presentation of instruments to support resource efficiency by Effizienz- Agentur NRW (regional agency promoting resource efficiency through counselling, financial support and training) by Mr Peter Jahns, Director of Effizienz-Agentur NRW (present for questions: Mr Ingo Menssen, Head of Events, and Mrs Ilona Dierschke, Advisor for Resource Efficiency)
Presentation of the environmental policy of Friedrich Lohmann GmbH, factory for special & high alloyed steel (enterprise that has benefited from support by Effizienz-Agentur NRW) by Mr Friedrich Lohmann-Voß, Managing Director, Mr Rolf Unger, Head of Sales (Steel Bars), Mr Rainer Aust, Deputy Head of Quality Control, and Mr Roland Müller, Head of 11.00 - 12.30 Environmental and Safety Management
Guided visit of the factory Clothing rules for the factory visit: - closed, sturdy, flat-heeled shoes - long trousers and long sleeves - no synthetic materials
Topics: Stimulating resource efficiency at enterprise level Best environmental practices
12.30 - 13.30 Working Lunch at Friedrich Lohmann GmbH
Bus transfer to Akademie Mont-Cenis, Herne
13.30 - 14.00 Akademie Mont-Cenis Mont-Cenis-Platz 1 44627 Herne
14.00 - 15.30 Visit of “Zeche Mont-Cenis” (previous coal mine site, transformed into an academy site and energy park) by Ms Ulrike Martin, City of Herne, Building
PE589.288v01-00 10/12 CR\1104413EN.docx EN Management, and Mr Stephan Becker, Project Manager, Stadtwerke Herne (municipal utility) ‒ Akademie Mont-Cenis: Pioneer building with large roof-integrated solar energy plant ‒ Block heating station powered by mine gas
Topics: Sustainable transformation of industrial sites Sustainable energy production
Bus transfer to Eltingviertel, Essen
15.30 - 16.00 Quartiersbüro Eltingviertel Altenessener Straße 50 45141 Essen
Presentation of InnovationCity Ruhr (concept for climate-friendly city conversion) and its project Eltingviertel by Mr Gernot Pahlen, project manager at Innovation City Management GmbH
Comments on the perspective of housing association Vonovia by Mr Arnd 16.00 - 18.30 Fittkau, Director of Region West at Vonovia
Guided walk through the Eltingviertel by Mr Gernot Pahlen
Topic: Climate-friendly conversion of existing housing
18.30 - 18.45 Bus transfer to the hotel
Wednesday, 21 September 2016
8.30 Meeting in the hotel lobby
8.30 - 9.20 Bus transfer to Dortmund
Presentation of the concept and the projects of “Green Infrastructure Ruhr” by Mr Michael Schwarze-Rodrian, Head of Unit for European and Regional 9.20 - 12.00 Networks, Ruhr Regional Association, and Mr Michael Lenkeit, City of Dortmund, responsible for location development
CR\1104413EN.docx 11/12 PE589.288v01-00 EN Guided walk of: Phoenix West (Technology Center on former blast furnace site) Lake Phoenix (New urban and environmental development on former steel factory site)
Topics: Green infrastructure Renaturalisation of the Emscher River System Long-term industrial transformation Operative combination of local, regional, national and EU funding
12.00 - 13.00 Small refreshments at Lake Phoenix
13.00 - 14.00 Bus transfer to Essen: railway station / hotel
From 14.00 Individual departures
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