Green Capital of Tomorrow

Press kit

Green Capital of Tomorrow – the next generation’s perspective

Press conference on 14.12.2011, Park Hyatt Hotel, Hamburg, 11:30 a.m.

Content

Press release on GCoT

Abstract of pan-European study

Student memorandum GCoT

Biographies of participants in the press conference

Press release

Green Capital of Tomorrow – the next generation’s perspective

Study: Environmentally-oriented urban development is the core societal challenge from the perspective of the "next generation" in Europe

For the future decision-making generation in Europe, sustainability, environmental and climate protection are the most important factors for achieving a sustainable urban development. This is the result of a new representative, pan-European study. For most cities further efforts are required and demanded in this area. The individual citizen is viewed as the most important driver for the corresponding developments. Thus, individuals have a duty to contribute by changing their own behaviour. Regional governments together with the press/media are viewed as additional important societal forces. Potential topics with regard to the production of energy and its consumption, for instance in switching off nuclear power plants and energy efficiency, tend to play a subordinate role.

Hamburg, 14.12.2011 – Around 1,100 students from nine European countries were questioned as "The Next Generation" within the context of the international study "Green Capital of Tomorrow – the next generation's perspective" on the perspectives of sustainability, environmental and climate protection in their city. The project was initiated by Siemens, realised by the Competence Centre for Renewable Energies and EnergyEfficiency (CC4E) of the University of Applied Sciences HAW Hamburg and supported by the City of Hamburg within the context of the Green Capital 2011. Two students were selected from each country who were then involved in the project and discussed the results of the study in a colloquium on 13 December in Hamburg, and who also drafted a memorandum on sustainable urban development. The countries are Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Spain, France, Poland and Belgium, inspired by the successful Green Capital project "Train of Ideas", which called at the cities in these countries.

The most important results of the study:

1. High interest and involvement in the environment
72 percent of all respondents are interested or very interested in environmental topics, 27 percent are actively involved in concrete projects, in their education and for instance through resource-conserving behaviour. Hamburg students, with 78 percent, have above-average interest. Simultaneously, with 72 percent the students feel good or very good about their city, so they are very much integrated. In Hamburg it's actually 88 percent, the second highest value behind Zurich.

2. Sustainability, environmental and climate protection is the most significant socio-political challenge
Even before the fight against the financial crisis, which 65 percent of respondents assessed as a very significant challenge, ranking number 1 is sustainability, environmental and climate protection with 71 percent (very significant),
followed by the improvement of the education system (60 percent), the fight against unemployment and improvement of family poverty. 57 percent of respondents feel the struggle against family poverty is very significant, in Hamburg this is even reported by 60 percent. The improvement of social justice is also viewed by 49 percent as very significant across cities – equally in Hamburg. In Hamburg 79 percent think environmental and climate protection are especially important, this value is exceeded only by Trondheim and Barcelona (82 resp. 81 percent). Only 40 percent think switching off nuclear power plants is very significant – here Hamburg ranks 1st place with 58 percent, Paris (23 percent) and Warsaw (21 percent) in the last places. This result reflects the varying assessment of nuclear risks in the cities of Europe.

3. Sustainable urban development of central relevance – securing resources and expansion of renewable energies as most important fields of action
83 percent of respondents consider the sustainability developments in their own city significant or very significant; however improved communication is needed and demanded. 10 percent see themselves as well informed or 25 percent informed, while 60 percent are only partially or not very informed about the challenges and activities of their city – in Hamburg 39 percent see themselves as well or very well informed. On the top spots when it comes to the significance of individual fields of action from a total of 13 for sustainability and climate protection are the conservation of resources with 57 percent, the expansion of renewable energies with 55 percent and waste management/recycling (50 percent).
New mobility concepts and the inclusion of sustainability concepts in education follow with 45 percent each. Energy efficiency, despite its de facto great potential for climate protection, is assessed as very significant "only" by 43 percent. That social justice for sustainability development would be especially important was expressed by 33 percent, in Hamburg 35 percent. Overall, however, the "next generation" would like to see progress in all fields of action. In Hamburg, above all the expansion of renewable energies (58 percent) and transport concepts (50 percent), as well as sustainability education (51 percent) are assessed above average.

4. Mixed evaluation of the chances for their own city in developing into the "Green Capital of Tomorrow"
Only 13 percent see very good, 43 percent see good changes and prospects for the own city to develop sustainability. 45 percent judge that their city has less good or only partially good prospects. From the perspective of the students, Hamburg displays the best prospects: 67 percent see good or very good chances. In total, 72 percent of respondents want their city to strengthen its efforts in sustainability.

5. Generation of acceptance and sense of responsibility among the individual citizens
In the question of which tasks mark the path to the "Green Capital of Tomorrow", 79 percent see the most important task being that of individual citizens assuming responsibility and changing their behaviour. This aspect is most strongly pronounced in Hamburg with 88 percent. The European thought is especially emphasised by respondents regarding the task of exchanging knowledge about solutions throughout Europe (78 percent agreement, in Hamburg: 86 percent). Clear communication and transparency of goals and strategies of sustainability are also required to generate acceptance and a willingness to act (71 percent, in Hamburg: 79 percent).

6. The success of sustainability development depends on the cooperation of all societal forces
National governments (80 percent) receive especially high valuations for the issue of what significance individual societal forces have to success, with the media sector (79 percent) ranking higher than the municipal authorities (71 percent) and the European government (69 percent). Successful development into a sustainable city is viewed as a local (14 percent), national (15 percent) or Europe-wide task (24 percent), or belonging to all jointly (47 percent).

Professor Dr. Werner Beba, Head of the CC4E and responsible for the study summarises: "For the 'Next Generation' the significance of an environmental orientation and sustainability is clearly anchored as an essential task of the future. The study also shows that in the most important areas there is a cross-city common understanding. Nonetheless, the previous efforts on the path to a sustainable city must clearly be reinforced." As for Hamburg's showing, he comments: "At the close of its Green Capital Year, the results for Hamburg are encouraging: When it comes to interest in the environment, significance of sustainability and resource protection, but also with regard to its prospects as a Green Capital of Tomorrow, Hamburg achieves acceptable values."

In follow-up to the study, 22 students from the nine European countries that had participated in the study met up. Upon the invitation of Siemens AG and under the direction of HAW Hamburg, they discussed the results of the study within the context of a colloquium and formulated a joint memorandum. The following points have the highest pan-European relevance for the "next generation":

- In addition to an increased expansion of bicycle and footpath networks, cities should demand that each of their citizens take considerably more responsibility themselves when it comes to sustainability.

- Part of a really sustainable urban development, besides technical aspects, is the social balance, including the fight against poverty.

- Cities have to formulate clear goals for sustainability and be on the offensive when communicating them to their citizens. Only in this way can acceptance and changes in awareness be achieved.

- Local sustainability goals should correspond with national goals: acting locally while thinking globally.

Dr. Dorothee Stapelfeldt, Senator for Science and Research and Deputy Mayor: "I congratulate the students and the HAW on this successful study "Green Capital of Tomorrow – the next generation's perspective" and thank Siemens AG for their support of this project.

This pan-European study is an excellent example for the knowledge-based metropolis of Hamburg and a witness to the international character of our science and research location. The basic idea and basic requirement of the EU for the "European Green Capital" is also the exchange of ideas in Europe. Promoting this is of enormous importance and is being implemented by the study in an exemplary manner. Its results prove that the project "Green Capital" is successful. What is especially valuable here is that students – The Next Generation / Young Influencers – themselves were the drivers of the study. They demonstrate what sustainability and consequence in matters of environmental protection have to look like – creatively, positively, actively. They are the decision-makers of tomorrow and even now the shapers of today."

"The megatrend of urbanising is a challenge for Siemens, to which we have consciously geared our business policy for some time now. For me, therefore, it was particularly exciting to find out how the decision-maker generation of tomorrow, who will also be the customers of tomorrow, view the topic of sustainable urban development," Michael Westhagemann, CEO of the region Germany North of Siemens AG, commented on the study. "And even if the European tour of the 'Train of Ideas' of the Green Capital 2011 has shown how similar the challenges throughout Europe are, the results of this study have still made clear to us that we still have quite a long path ahead of us to reach sustainability and effective climate protection – a path that we as an infrastructure company of course will help shape."

Further details on the study are available online at www.haw-hamburg.de.

An extra page on the topic can also be found on the homepage of Siemens AG at www.siemens.com/presse/trainofideas and/or www.siemens.com/presse/zugderideen (German) as well as in English at www.siemens.com/press/trainofideas.

Contact:

Siemens AG

Siemens Germany

Communications

Region North

Lindenplatz 2

20099 Hamburg, Germany

Phone: +49 40 2889-2309

HAW Hamburg

Press and communication

Berliner Tor 5

20099 Hamburg, Germany

Dr. Katharina Ceyp-Jeorgakopulos

Phone: +49.40.428 75-9132

Study abstract
"Green Capital of Tomorrow – the next generation’s perspective"

Representative study conducted October/November 2011 among 1,100 students from Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, France, Spain and Norway.

Academic leadership: Competence Centre for Renewable Energies and EnergyEfficiency (CC4E) of the HAW Hamburg under the direction of Prof. Dr. Werner Beba

The most important results:

4. Mixed evaluation of the chances for their own city in developing into the "Green Capital of Tomorrow"
Only 13 percent see very good, 43 percent see good changes and prospects for the own city to develop sustainability. From the perspective of the students, Hamburg displays the best prospects: 67 percent see good or very good chances. In total, 72 percent of respondents want their city to strengthen its efforts in sustainability.

5. Generation of acceptance and sense of responsibility among the citizens
In the question of which tasks mark the path to the "Green Capital of Tomorrow", 79 percent see the most important task being that of individual citizens assuming responsibility and changing their behaviour. This aspect is most strongly pronounced in Hamburg with 88 percent.
The European thought is especially emphasised by respondents regarding the task of exchanging knowledge about solutions throughout Europe (78 percent agreement, in Hamburg: 86 percent). Clear communication and transparency of goals and strategies of sustainability are also required to generate acceptance and a willingness to act (71 percent, in Hamburg: 79 percent).

The success of sustainability development depends on the cooperation of all societal forces
When it comes to the significance that individual societal forces have to success, the national government (80 percent) receives especially high valuations for the issue of what, with the media sector (79 percent) ranking higher than the municipal authorities (71 percent) and the European government (69 percent). Successful development into a sustainable city is viewed as a local (14 percent), national (15 percent) or Europe-wide task (24 percent), or belonging to all jointly (47 percent).