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Press release 1 June 2004
German Climate Relay reached the International Renewables Conference in Bonn
Today, the CLIMATE RELAY "KlimaStaffel 2004" reached Bonn - just in time for the opening of the International Conference for Renewable Energies "renewables 2004". The relay baton was handed over to Federal Environment Minister Juergen Trittin, Chair of the Conference. Inside the relay baton is the "Climate Relay Declaration", signed by all the 16 regional states that make up
Germany, whereby they commit to strongly promote the use of renewables. Moreover, a "book of messages" comprises local declarations, wishes and proposals of local governments and thousands of citizens who
actively participated at the CLIMATE RELAY. Organiser of the relay is the Climate Alliance of European Cities, with 1200 member municipalities the largest network of local governments working in the field of climate change policy and sustainable energy.
During the 23 days of the relay, more than 15,000 active participants carried the relay baton through all regions of Germany - 4000 kilometres of walking, cycling, skating, riding, rowing, with solar boats, horses, huskies - all environmentally sound means of transport have been allowed. The 200 staging posts of the climate relay included exemplary renewable projects, highlighting that a sustainable energy system is based on a broad variety of
technologies, involving local and regional governments, private investors, business, and NGOs. Participants included activists and local
government representatives from Germany and other European countries like Austria, Denmark, Belgium, and The Netherlands, and, moreover, delegates from indigenous peoples from the Amazon rainforest, partners of the European cities in the Climate Alliance.
This morning, the final stage started at the Bonn City Hall and ended at the Conference venue. Among the participants were school children, delegates from cities, and the two triathletes Nicole and Lothar Leder. Joke Waller-Hunter, Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Secretariat in Bonn and patron of the CLIMATE RELAY, the City of Bonn's Lady Mayor Baerbel Dieckmann and Climate Alliance director Gotelind Alber welcomed the participants and and handed the relay symbols over to Minister Trittin.
"Renewable energies are one of the pillars of the strategy to combat climate change", said Joke Waller-Hunter, "and therefore need to be promoted strongly".
"Local governments have already started to implement practical steps towards a more sustainable energy system", said Baerbel Dieckmann. "We hope that the enthusiasm of the thousands of participants, and their commitments and wishes, encourage governments attending the renewables2004 conference to commit themselves to ambitious targets and resolute steps to increase the share of renewable energies, and work towards a climate-friendly energy system", said Gotelind Alber. "Moreover, during the relay, thousand of people have learnt that renewable energy is not only a topic for experts and
international conferences. Everyboday can contribute and should be involved!"
Projects visited during the CLIMATE RELAY
Biomass:
A straw-fired heating facility in Schleswig-Holstein for poultry breeding is saving 100,000 litres of heating oil each year, a wood-fired cogeneration plant in Bavaria produces heat, cold and power, and the city of Cottbus in Brandenburg uses biogas from sewage sludge. Saxony-Anhalt is putting the sun in the tank, using bioethanol from local fields as a petrol additive. A mobile woodchip
production unit in Lower Saxony delivers the basic resource for biomass-based energy production.
Wind power:
The Weserwind wind farm im Bremen counts 22 turbines at seven locations, supplying 45 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, enough for 17,000 average households.
Hydro power:
In Baden-Württemberg the first fully energy self-sufficient heavy machinery factory in Germany produces turbines for hydropower installations.
Solar power and heat:
The world's largest airport solar installation in Saarland covers an area equivalent to five football fields, and the Wiesbaden-Kostheim indoor swimming pool in Hessen is heated by a solar air collector system saving more than 15,000 Euros each year in heating costs.
Geothermal energy:
The first geothermal power plant in Germany is a new installation in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Sustainable energy communities:
Berlin, the capital city of Germany, hosts the solar government district with geothermal storage systems, solar installations and cogeneration facilities, and moreover, an increasing number of citizen-funded solar power plants. The Lüchow-Dannenberg district in Lower Saxony and the Weilerbach Zero-Emission Village in Rhineland-Palatinate aim at meeting 100% of energy
requirements from renewable sources over the longer term. The city of Freiberg in Saxony is the most important centre for renewable energies in eastern Germany, including wind, hydro, photovoltaic and biomass
facilities, large solar collectors areas and clean cogeneration plants. The Clodra mill in Thuringia, an important historic building, uses sheep wool as local resource, and hydropower and biomass as renewable energies. Karlshöhe solar garden in Hamburg provides children and adults with possibilities for hands-on
experience of all things relating to solar energy.
Solar solidarity between north and south:
Through a combination of donations and public funding, solar installations and wind turbines are erected in North-Rhine/Westphalia that feed their power into the grid. The revenue thus generated is used for energy projects in developing countries.
The CLIMATE RELAY received support from the German Environment Ministry, and from several sponsors such as Deutsche Post and Deutsche Bahn. The Climate Alliance has initiated and coordinated the relay with the help of local and regional governments and NGOs.
The Climate Alliance of European Cities
The Climate Alliance is a world-wide partnership of European local governments with indigenous rainforest peoples. The common aim is to
preserve the global climate. This involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a sustainable level in the industrialised countries of the north, and conserving the rainforests in the south of the planet. By joining, the members have entered voluntary commitments set out in the Climate Alliance Manifesto (1990) and Climate Alliance Declaration (2000).
Since its foundation in 1990, some 1200 European local governments have joined the Climate Alliance representing nearly 50 million citizens. 50 regional governments and non-governmental organisations collaborate as associated members. Our indigenous partners are represented by the Co-ordinating Body for the Indigenous Peoples' Organisations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), and the International Alliance of the Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests (IAIP). Both organisations are committed to conserving tropical
rainforests and their biological diversity.
Renewable energy, together with energy efficiency, is one of the core issues of the work of the Climate Alliance's programmes to build capacity within local authorities, facilitate the exchange of experience, and provide methodological advice for the members.
Please find further information on the climate Alliance at www.climatealliance.org
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