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Bonn takes part in international project on socially just climate protection

The City of Bonn is one of four German cities participating in an ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) project on socially just climate protection.

"Bonn wants to become climate-neutral by 2035 while adhering to the CO2 budget as laid down in Paris,” comments Mayor Katja Dörner. “Our climate plan, which is to be adopted by the Bonn City Council at the end of March 2023, shows us the way. Climate protection can only succeed if we involve our citizens and design our climate protection activities in such a way that they can be implemented in a socially balanced and fair manner. I am therefore very pleased that Bonn, as a German UN city and home to the ICLEI World Secretariat, has been selected for this project." 

The project aims to ensure that climate action takes into account and supports social concerns. It is intended to make equitable and inclusive climate action scalable, and last but not least, it is about strategic alignment between local climate and equity policies. The experiences of German cities will be made available to the public as well as to other cities as learning examples.

"Social goals and climate goals must not be played off against each other, but must be thought of together. This is the only way to ensure success and acceptance of the measures among the population as a whole. Three dimensions play a special role here: access, participation and opportunities. We have chosen the city of Bonn not least because of its special concern to closely link the implementation of an ambitious climate plan with the essential focus on social justice of the measures required for this. We are very pleased to be able to support the City of Bonn in this as part of the INCLU:DE project," explains ICLEI Secretary General Gino Van Begin.

In addition to Bonn, the cities of Dortmund, Heidelberg and Ludwigsburg are also participating. The project, which is supported by the Mercator Foundation, will last until mid-2025. The official launch will take place in Dortmund on March 7, 2023.

About ICLEI

ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network working with more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. ICLEI is active in over 125 countries, influencing sustainability policy and promoting local action for low-emission, nature-based, socially just, resilient and circular development. Since 2010, the ICLEI World Secretariat has been based in the city of Bonn.