50 exciting, small and large climate protection projects from a wide range of areas that make Stuttgart a better place to live applied for the #jetztklimachen Prize 2023. Three of these projects were awarded the #jetztklimachen-Preis 2023 by the City of Stuttgart's Climate Protection Department in cooperation with the Stuttgart climate community. As so many outstanding projects were submitted, the jury awarded special recognition to three other projects in addition to the three winners. There was also a special prize from Klima Community e.V.

But how did the winners fare after the award ceremony and what's new to report?

Special recognitions
The jury paid special tribute to three projects for their exemplary character, their appeal beyond the region and their enormous potential for imitation. The Plus-Energy Quarter made of wooden modules in Bad Cannstatt, which generates more energy from renewable sources than it needs itself; the Feuerbach Sports Association with its systematic climate protection and energy-saving measures; and the start-up Proservation with its ecological packaging solution made from grain husks. In order to offer the projects a communicative platform, interviews were conducted in each case, which were disseminated in editorial articles via the various channels of the staff unit. This enabled the Plus-Energiequartier to be presented to a new target group via the building modernization newsletter (over 11,000 recipients). Proservation's new crowdfunding round was also publicized on the #jetztklimachen website and via the Linked-In community. A project video was made last year for the Feuerbach Sports Association, which is also supported by a project of the Stuttgart Climate Innovation Fund. The sports association also won the German Sustainability Award 2023 in the sports category.

1st place: wandering, climate-friendly lunch table
The "Sustainable in Hallschlag" project's roaming lunch table, our first winner of the #jetztklimachen prize 2023, brings together the school cafeteria, youth center, daycare center, church, intergenerational house and pub to offer an open, climate-friendly lunch for everyone. There are also suggestions and information on climate-friendly nutrition at home. The jury sums it up: "The great thing about this project is that so many players in the city are pulling together, doing something for a good cause and promoting climate-friendly nutrition." The traveling lunch table has already achieved a lot: The youth center wants to become a distribution point for food sharing, the Johannes Gutenberg School covers sustainable nutrition in lessons and the Generationenhaus has introduced vegetarian food days. The next step is to implement the project in other districts of Stuttgart. The Climate Protection Department is also supporting the design of a designation concept for other districts, with the coordinator for climate-friendly nutrition, Sabine Weick.
You can see what a typical walking lunch looks like, where project manager Lisa Langosch sees the future challenges and how Timo Hildebrand got involved on site in the newly shot project video: https: //jetztklimachen.stuttgart.de/drei-fragen-an-wandernden-mittagstisch

2nd place: Freie Radwerkstatt 0711, now: lights and handlebars
Students and staff at Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences came together and founded the "Freie Radwerkstatt 0711" (now Lichter & Lenker). They make bikes ready to ride again. They also enable cyclists to repair their bikes themselves, providing tools, spare parts and experienced helpers. Thanks to their cargo bike, they also set up a pop-up workshop in public places. The successful combination of sustainable mobility with the topics of the circular economy and education particularly appealed to the jury. "Alternatives must be offered so that people adopt climate-friendly mobility in their everyday lives," said the jury.
The project group was able to move forward immediately after the award ceremony: The non-profit association "Lichter und Lenker" was founded to put the project on a solid footing in the long term. The work is to be expanded above all with cooperation at various locations in the city, for example with a joint workshop with the state parliament or cooperation with other bicycle-related associations such as the German Cyclists' Federation (ADFC). You can take a closer look at the concept in the project video: https: //jetztklimachen.stuttgart.de/drei-fragen-an-lichter-lenker

3rd place: Interactive scavenger hunt "Climate protection and energy saving at Hegel"
Every second person trained in climate protection? That sounds impossible? Hegel-Gymnasium Stuttgart has done it! The school's environmental spokespeople have used the "Actionbound" app to create an interactive scavenger hunt on energy saving and climate protection at Hegel. Half the school has already completed it. The jury was particularly impressed by the students' independent initiative. The jury is convinced: "The Actionbound is designed for Hegel-Gymnasium, but this very specific educational project can easily be transferred to other young people and schools." For the environmental spokespersons of Hegel-Gymnasium, it is clear that they want to decide on their own ("without teacher influence") what the prize money of 1,000 euros should be used for.
In keeping with the diverse project, we made a video with the pupils and the teacher responsible, Mr. Morgenstern: https://jetztklimachen.stuttgart.de/drei-fragen-an-hegel-gymnasium
With the help of various networks, the project is also to be presented to as many schools as possible in Stuttgart for imitation.

Special prize from the Stuttgart climate community: "Inselgrün - the 24/7 open neighborhood and educational garden"
The Inselgrün urban garden is a learning and community garden that is open 24/7 in the middle of Neckarpark in Bad Cannstatt. The green oasis has been a meeting place for gardening and lingering since 2012. Inselgrün also includes a "Foodsharing Bürgercafé", educational projects such as cooking courses and workshops on the topics of botany and kitchen gardens, bed sponsorships by residents in the neighborhood, school campaigns and social days organized by Stuttgart companies. In addition to the 250 euros in prize money, the climate community also supported the project in terms of communication. The members of the association were on site at Inselgrün and were busy filming interviews and videos for social media. After the award ceremony, a permaculture workshop and a vegan Christmas market were held on the island of culture. In addition, a new area with raised beds is currently being set up especially for children to sow and harvest.

Inspired by so much commitment to the climate? There are many more projects to discover here: https://www.klima-community.de/jetztklimachen-preis.html
And perhaps there are already plans for a new edition of the #jetztklimachen award next year. So stay tuned! :)