Monographie Bonn-Rhein-Sieg

CLIMATE PROTECTION AS A SUCCESS FACTOR – ENERGY TRANSITION ALONG THE RHINE AND THE SIEG
The signs are set to green: numerous companies from
Bonn and the surrounding region are successfully working
in the contrasting fields of ecology and economy.
Sustainable production and the conservative use of
resources represent the key to further growth.
Climate protection is at home in Bonn. Sustainability is the
UN organisations’ focal area of work, and this also applies
for numerous international institutions – especially in the
environment and development sectors. During major inter -
national conferences of the United Nations, these themes
are at the centre of focus. On its way toward a worldwide
sustainable development, Bonn and the actors located here
constantly provide stimuli in this regard around the globe.
It goes without saying that the meetings convened at this
location are sustainably organised. The sustainability
network conference location, Sustainable Bonn, offers a
platform of qualified partners for so-called “green meetings”.
Thanks to this project, which was initiated by the City of
Bonn and coordinated by Tourismus & Congress GmbH
region Bonn/Rhein-Sieg/Ahrweiler, more than 50 com -
panies from the hotel industry, catering, conference technology,
transportation and culture sector could already be
sensitised regarding the topic of sustainability. Bonn’s
ambitions with regard to the sector of climate protection
were once again underscored with a study conducted by
the climate protection agency “Klima ohne Grenzen”
(Climate without Borders). With the current city ranking
pertaining to the emission of carbon dioxide and the share
of “green electricity” provided by the municipality and the
utility providers, the Rhine metropolis once again secured a
top position in 2016. With a carbon dioxide emission value
of 191 grams per kilowatt hour (previous year: 273 grams)
SWB energy and water comes in at first place. Yet another
benefit is the significant share of renewable energy found
in the utility provider’s electricity mix. With a share of 61 percent
(previous year: 57 percent), the municipality of Bonn
also has a leading position.
Both the environment and company budgets benefit
Climate protection is more than mere politics. It is a
business-relevant topic in the purest form of the word. This
is because there can be no doubt that sustainable business
pays. An example in this case would be the family-managed
hotel and restaurant “Zur Post” in Bonn-Küdinghoven.
Already early on in 2009, the members of the Sustainable
Bonn initiative recognised the opportunities and benefits of
thermal pumps and installations for waste heat recovery,
and integrated these into their housing technology. With
the installation of the first combined heat and power plant
(CHP) with 4.7 kilowatt electricity performance and 12.4 kilowatt
thermal output, the electric base load in the main
building could be covered internally. This was followed by
the conversion of the heating technology to condensing
boiler technology, as well as the commissioning of another
combined heat and power plant (CHP). With the exchange
of conventional lighting technology for modern LED luminaires,
the introduction of energy-efficient technology in the
kitchen and utility room area, as well as the installation of an
own photovoltaic installation in 2012, the hotel continues
on its path of consistent alignment toward energy-efficient,
sustainable solutions. In the past three years, the latter has
generated 65,000 kilowatt of electricity – and about 85 percent
of this is used by the hotel itself.
CO 2 -free postal delivery
When looking at the example of Bonn, the Deutsche Post
DHL Group demonstrates how CO 2 -free postal delivery can
function in cities and rural areas. In this regard, more than
140 electric vehicles from a variety of different manufac -
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