A total of 48 European municipalities, cities and districts received the European Energy Award (eea) Gold in Ravensburg on 5 November 2021 – including Ulm as the first major city in Baden-Württemberg. The award goes to municipalities that are particularly active in promoting climate protection, energy efficiency and renewable energies. In her digital greeting, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underlined the significance of this award: “The path to climate neutrality leads through our cities and regions.”
The city of Ulm has already received the European Energy Award several times – now the coveted trophy was awarded in gold for the first time. Lord Mayor Gunter Czisch was all the more pleased, speaking of a very special award. The Gold Award is given for a score of 75 per cent or more. The city of Ulm achieved 79.9 percentage points with its energy and climate policy measures. By way of comparison, the best result this year, with 88 percent of the scope for action exhausted, was achieved by the municipality of Virgen from Austria 79.9 percentage points also means: Ulm has implemented almost four-fifths of all possible measures to increase energy efficiency, to supply renewable energies and to protect the climate in the city. These include, for example, the steady expansion of district heating, the extension of the tram network and the supply of green electricity to municipal buildings. However, not only large spectacular measures found their way into the evaluation, but also, for example, the conversion of street lighting to LED technology or the creation of a climate protection advisory board consisting of actors from science, business, politics, administration and civil society. Across Europe, around 1,700 municipalities and districts are participating in the eea process. Ulm is one of 189 municipalities that can adorn themselves with the eea gold label.
At the event in the Ravensburg Art Museum, municipalities, cities and districts from Germany, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland received awards. Around 150 participants from several European countries were present on site, and another 70 participants followed the event digitally.
Prior to the award ceremony, workshops were held on topics such as the heat transition, climate communication, sustainable mobility and land sufficiency. The participants exchanged their experiences internationally and took away impulses for the further path towards climate neutrality.
The following municipalities from Baden-Württemberg were honoured with the European Energy Award Gold:
| Stadt Bad Schussenried | Gemeinde Ilsfeld |
| Stadt Friedrichshafen | Landkreis Biberach |
| Stadt Lörrach | Landkreis Böblingen |
| Stadt Mengen | Landkreis Bodenseekreis |
| Stadt Ravensburg | Landkreis Ravensburg |
| Stadt Sigmaringen | Landkreis Reutlingen |
| Stadt Ulm | Landkreis Sigmaringen |
| Stadt Wangen im Allgäu |
