As a spa and holiday resort with some 8500 inhabitants, Bad Schussenried considers climate protection a top priority. As long ago as 1981, the district council decided to adopt long-term climate protection activities. The European Energy Award (eea) was launched in Baden-Württemberg in 2006. At the time, Bad Schussenried participated as a pilot community.

In its capacity as a spa and holiday resort, motivator and multiplier, Bad Schussenried has a duty to set a good example for citizens, clubs, industry and communities alike. On 13.08.2008 the district council adopted a mission statement aimed at reducing CO2 emission throughout the municipal area by at least 50 percent by the year 2020.

The encouraging results of these early climate protection activities are reflected in the energy and CO2 analysis produced by the Ravensburg Energy Agency in 2009. CO2 emissions had been reduced by 17 percent compared to 1995. Today, Bad Schussenried produces approximately 4.21 tons of CO2 per inhabitant (as compared to the Baden-Württemberg state average of 6.75 ton per inhabitant).

n 2010 the Ravensburg Energy Agency was commissioned to work with representatives of the town council, district council, industry and utility companies to produce a "Climate and Energy Concept 2011 – 2020" in order to identify the potential in all sectors (e.g. development of renewable energy sources, energy saving, waste heat utilisation, improved mobility, motivation of citizens, clubs, industry and schools as well as urban development), taking demographic change into account.

The results show that Bad Schussenried has enormous potential in all sectors, e.g.:

• Potential for energy savings of more than 30 percent or > 58 mill. KWh
• Expansion of renewable power generation from the current level of 10 percent to > 70 percent (>26 mill. KWh)
• Expansion of renewable heat generation from the current level of 5.5 percent to > 50 percent (>63 mill. KWh)
• Halving of the average traffic volume in the town centre (approx. 8000 vehicles per day)
• Electromobility concept involving 100 utilisation of renewable power
• Annual CO2 savings of just below 43,000 tons

The town council and district council recognised the potential and decided on 20.01.2011 to adopt and implement the Climate and Energy Concept 2011 - 2020. The necessary measures, including controlling, energy and CO2 savings, investment costs and responsibility are described in the Action Plan drafted by the district council.

This Action Plan, including controlling, can be used by the future Climate Manager as a guide to implementation of the "Climate and Energy Concept 2011 - 2020". The "Climate and Energy Concept 2011 - 2020" shows that the climate protection measures can only be implemented, in terms of quality and quantity, by a future Climate Protection Manager. During the funding period 2011- 2014 alone, these measures will necessitate investment of more than 7 million euros in all sectors and bring annual energy savings of just less than 10,000 MWh, as well as annual CO2 savings of approximately 5,000 tons.

To download the Code of Practice for effective climate protection and energy efficient construction for European Energy Award® eligibility as a PDF file, click on Code of Practice of the town of Bad Schussenried (PDF document, 80,26 KB, 26.08.2014) (PDF)