The City of Essen has been a member of the Climate Alliance e.V. since 1993, implementing numerous projects and pursuing specific climate protection goals.
The City of Essen's overarching climate protection goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest.
In order to do justice to the high priority given to climate protection, the City Council of Essen has commissioned the city administration to present a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) by summer 2021 as a further development of the Integrated Energy and Climate Concept (IEKK from 2009). The SECAP describes the strategic approach to climate protection and adaptation to climate change after 2020 with specific recommendations for action and measures up to 2030. The main steps for action and the resources required to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest are outlined. The topics of energy-efficient renovation of old buildings, energy-efficient use of electricity, the expansion of renewable energies and sustainable mobility are of central importance. Smart sector coupling, which enables the development of climate-neutral neighborhood solutions, is also crucial. The expansion of renewable energies will be a particular focus in the creation of the SECAP. The areas of consumption and nutrition as well as CO2 compensation and storage will be included as new topics.