The focus of the event was not only on honoring the schools, but also on personal exchange in the proven format of an interactive world café. Here, the participating schools were able to present their diverse climate protection campaigns at colorful information stands and be inspired by each other.
Contributions and commitment of the schools honored
On site, head of department Wolfgang Bechtle from the district office and Ludwigsburg's mayor Andrea Schwarz praised the contributions and commitment of the schools: "The results speak for themselves: the schools have achieved savings through concrete measures - and thus shown that climate protection at schools is not just theory, but can be part of everyday life," said Bechtle. Mayor Schwarz added: "If we want to be climate-neutral in Ludwigsburg as soon as possible, preferably by 2035, we need precisely this momentum. I am delighted to see what the project teams have achieved together."
Climate protection measures implemented again
In the last phase of the project, the participating schools were once again able to implement climate protection measures with the support of their energy teams and in cooperation with the city and district building authorities: from more conscious use of electricity and heat to mobility campaigns such as a bicycle cinema and educational projects relating to sustainability. The participating schools achieved average energy savings of 11.2% in 2023 and 2024 compared to 2022. The total amount of energy saved of 2,600 MWh is roughly equivalent to the electricity and heating requirements of five elementary school over a period of two years.
Sustainable support from strong partners
The project was funded by the Environmental and Nature Conservation Foundation of Kreissparkasse Ludwigsburg with a total of 72,000 euros over the entire duration of the project. Thomas Geiger, member of the Kreissparkasse board, explained at the award ceremony: "In order to make our district a sustainable place to live for us and future generations, we are investing considerable sums in climate and environmental protection. We are not only setting a good example ourselves by saving more and more valuable resources and expandingCO2-neutral energy generation plants, but also supporting our customers and charitable projects in the energy transition. I am particularly pleased that the pupils are also actively helping to shape climate protection with new ideas in this project." Stadtwerke Ludwigsburg-Kornwestheim and Bietigheim-Bissingen also supported the awards financially.
A project that stays - even after completion
Since the start of the project in October 2021, the participating schools have shown that climate protection can be firmly anchored in everyday school life, not just on individual project days. Project manager Ellinor Hoyer from the Ludwigsburg district office drew a positive conclusion: "The feeling of being able to make a difference together and the good cooperation that has grown over the course of the project were key success factors - they have strengthened motivation and cohesion enormously. I am very proud of what the schools have achieved and established."
The project was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection over a period of four years as part of the "Energy Saving Models" municipal guideline. The climate protection measures initiated during this time should continue to have an impact at the schools in the future.
