Focus on Sustainability

Berlin has published the first sustainability strategy for the entire city. The strategy adapts the implementation of the 2030 Agenda to Berlin’s specific context, recognizes achievements to date, and invites the public to participate. A new tool for cities, counties, and municipalities: The “Portal for Sustainable Municipalities” from the German Institute for Urban Affairs.

Achieving climate neutrality by 2045 is one of the central challenges Berlin is strategically addressing. As a powerful tool for achieving this goal, the Senate has decided on Berlin’s first citywide sustainability strategy in mid-May. Under the guiding principle “Berlin is our city. Sustainability is our goal,” the state clearly commits to the responsibility of advancing Berlin in line with the 2030 Agenda adopted by the United Nations in 2015. What makes Berlin’s sustainability strategy unique is that it places the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined in the Agenda within the specific Berlin context, thereby deliberately bridging a gap between the German Sustainability Strategy and district-level engagement. Furthermore, it not only sets out objectives but also specifically highlights how sustainability has been advanced in Berlin to date.

“With the Berlin Sustainability Strategy, we are highlighting what has already been achieved in our city in terms of climate protection, sustainable economic management, social participation, and good living conditions, while at the same time looking ahead,” said Ute Bonde, Senator for Urban Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment. Stakeholders from government, business, academia, initiatives, associations, and neighborhoods are to be specifically involved in order to make sustainability a natural part of local life. In the words of Ute Bonde: “The strategy is an invitation to help shape the future.”

In terms of content, following the approach of the German Sustainability Strategy and under the leadership of the Senate Department for Urban Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment, five Berlin-specific transformation areas for the strategy process were identified in line with the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda. Berlin’s outstanding public administration was identified as a sixth priority.

Areas of Transformation in the Berlin Sustainability Strategy

1. Human Well-being

2. Participation and Social Progress

3. Resilient Living Space of the Future

4. Sustainable Economy, Finance, and Consumption

5. Infrastructure and Mobility of Tomorrow

6. Sustainable Berlin Administration

The Berlin Sustainability Strategy thus not only sets out objectives but also stands for collective action and responsibility in practice. It deliberately breaks away from the conventional abstract approach. The dialogue platform Sustainable Berlin Implementation Alliance (Umsetzungsallianz Nachaltiges Berlin), launched in 2024, as well as state-owned companies and Berlin’s districts, are actively involved in the implementation. The Berlin Sustainability Strategy is set to be adopted in the upcoming legislative period.

Difu Portal for Sustainable Municipalities

Berlin is not yet on board, but 25 German municipalities are already benefiting from the pilot project: “Portal for Sustainable Municipalities” (Portal für nachhaltige Kommunen). The German Institute for Urban Affairs (Difu) and the Bertelsmann Foundation recently have made the digital platform available free of charge to cities, counties, and municipalities to support them in their sustainability management. The open-source-based portal has been developed and expanded since early 2024 in collaboration with 25 model municipalities and the members of the Difu working group “Sustainable Municipalities”. It uses AI to help municipalities to integrate existing tools, make progress visible, and manage sustainability efforts in an organized way. Administrations can create individual profiles on the platform and upload their own sustainability strategies as well as reports containing goals, indicators, and measures. A knowledge database also lists application know-how, practical examples, proven tools, and support services. A practical feature is the networking function. It brings municipalities together and enables cities, counties, and towns to learn from one another and strengthen each other. (vdo)