It was only in October 2023 that the AUT approved the concept for the district's climate-neutral administration. Just six months later, the first implementation report for the project, which has been running for two years, has now been published. "In the last two years, we have succeeded in establishing climate protection as a joint task," said District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier, pleased with the progress. "We are on the right track, even if this is not yet reflected in the greenhouse gas balance."
2022: Increased emissions despite reduction in total energy consumption
The greenhouse gas balance for 2022 shows a deviation from the necessary reduction in accordance with the greenhouse gas reduction pathway. Instead of an annual reduction of 18%, greenhouse gas emissions have risen by 4.2% compared to 2020. However, the underlying total energy consumption in 2022 fell by 5.8% compared to the starting year, mainly due to savings in heat consumption. One of the main reasons for the increase in total emissions is the sharp rise in the emission factor of the federal electricity mix. This is used as the basis for calculating greenhouse gas emissions and has deteriorated in 2022 due to the increased use of coal-fired power plants. The federal electricity mix is a representation of the various energy sources from which electricity is generated in Germany. It shows the percentage share of renewable and fossil energy sources. "The deviation from the path does not mean that we are questioning our ambitious target. We bear a crucial responsibility for maintaining a district worth living in and take our exemplary role as an administration seriously. Our response can therefore only be to do everything we can together to get as close as possible to the target," the district administrator made clear at the meeting.
Successful implementation of measures
Along with the annual climate and energy report, it was also decided to update the register of measures for climate-neutral administration. This register lays the foundation for further implementation at both a strategic and detailed level. The evaluation of the implementation status was positive: 85% of the measures are on schedule and 69% are being implemented successfully or very successfully. The climate-neutral administration officers particularly highlighted the introduction of climate checks for draft resolutions, the heat savings achieved and the improvements for cyclists. The latter have contributed to the district administration office being awarded the silver certificate as a "bicycle-friendly employer".
Climate-neutral administration by 2035: further measures are planned
The next steps include the further electrification of the vehicle fleet, the development and implementation of a comprehensive refurbishment strategy and measures for more sustainable procurement.
