Sustainable Urban Mobility is THE challenge of today!

As the move towards e-vehicles begins to gather pace, cities around Europe and the world must ask and answer a number of key urban mobility questions. The Local Renewables Freiburg 2010 Conference was the perfect time and place to stop scratching the surface of these issues and truly examine and probe a sector that is constantly in flux.

In workshops and panels the following questions have been raised and solutions sought:

• Biofuels or e-mobility or both? What are the perspectives?
• E-mobility for urban areas and infrastructure changes - what is needed to make it happen?
• E-mobility and renewable energy for transport – adequate supply and demand?
• What role can renewables play in public transport and car-sharing?
• Changing fuels or changing patterns – how to achieve real sustainable urban mobility?

Participants

Several participants from local governments in Europe and worldwide, decision-makers from various levels of government, energy service providers, business representatives, as well as experts on sustainable energy and urban mobility have met to discuss, exchange, learn and get ideas for local policy and local action, framework conditions, infrastructure and technological developments at Local Renewables Freiburg 2010.

With participants coming from 28 Countries, the conference had a truly international flavour. It drew people from as far afield as Bolivia, South Korea and Iran to Freiburg – one of Europe’s hot spots for Solar Energy and a model-city when it comes to providing citizens with sustainable transportation.

Opportunities

Opportunities for the participants of this conference included:

• Keynotes, plenaries and thematic workshops on the role of renewables in sustainable urban mobility: participants found and got inspired by innovative ideas from experts and advanced cities about renewable energy and energy efficiency in mobility and learned proven methods and technologies;
• Study tours: participants got an inspiring and practical insight of the opportunities and initiatives in the perfect setting of Freiburg Green City for exploring the integration of local renewable energy into urban transport;
• Networking & interaction with the Solar Summit: participants met researchers, local government and business representatives. An outstanding opportunity to connect, discuss, transfer know-how and collaborate with your peers and with people with a more technical perspective to accelerate progress.

Programme Elements and Objectives

This exciting event has offered a unique opportunity for exchange on the potential role of renewable energy in sustainable urban transport and mobility. It addressed the short and mid-term perspectives for e-mobility and biofuels in the framework of sustainable urban transport and mobility planning and implementation. The conference has provided local governments and decision-makers with the knowledge they need to address the challenges posed by urban mobility, but also the solutions offered by renewable energy.

Participants have discovered how these technological solutions can become part of sustainable urban mobility strategies that focus on the reduction of mobility demand, give preference to non-motorised modes of transport and reinforcement of public transport. Discussion has addressed the potential impact on problems like emissions of greenhouse gases, noise pollution, air quality and resulting health issues, traffic congestions and the use of public space, as well as needed changes in urban planning and infrastructure.

Programme Details

Wednesday 13 October

Freiburg, as one of Europe's hot spots for Solar Energy and a model-city when it comes to providing citizens with sustainable transportation, offers the perfect setting for exploring the integration of local renewable energy into urban transport. In order to get an inspiring insight of the opportunities and initiatives to be discussed in the following days, a series of Study Tours within the surroundings of Freiburg were organised for the afternoon of 13 October. 

On Wednesday 13 October 2010, at 19:00, participants were invited to the networking event “Freiburger Solarnacht" (Solar Night), organised at Fraunhofer ISE in the framework of the conference series “Solar Summits Freiburg”. The Solar Summit 2010 has taken place this year shortly before “Local Renewables Freiburg 2010”, and has focused on “Solar Mobility – Battery Systems, Fuel Cells and Biofuels for Sustainable Electromobility”.

This networking event allowed participants and speakers of both events to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere for conversation and discussion and interaction with each other as well as with the Fraunhofer ISE staff, representatives of the solar industry and from the Solar Region Freiburg in an informal setting. This event included a dinner buffet, live music performances and a walking act.

The City of Freiburg has kindly taken over the Solar Night costs for the Local Renewables 2010 participants.

Study Tours

Study tours will be organised to show interesting and innovative sustainable energy solutions in practice - successful examples of
renewable energy, energy efficiency and urban transport initiatives in the Green City and Solar Region of Freiburg.

• T.1: Visit to Vauban District
• T.2: Exploring future urban mobility at “Mobile”, Freiburg’s centre for ecomobility
• T.3: Freiburg Traffic Tour

Thursday 14 October

Plenary 1 - Conference opening

Welcome from host city and Local Renewables partner

• Dieter Salomon, Lord Mayor, City of Freiburg, Germany

Introduction

• Wolfgang Teubner, Executive Director, ICLEI Europe, Germany

Perspectives and role of e-mobility and renewable energy in Germany – how it is supported

• Markus Becker, Advisor, Department of Environment and Transport, Federal Ministry of the Environment, Germany

Demand and supply of renewable energy in future transport scenarios: range of options

• Lew Fulton, Senior Transport Energy Specialist, International Energy Agency (IEA), France

Plenary 2 - Renewable energy potentials in urban mobility

• Facilitator: Nuno Quental, EcoMobility Coordinator, ICLEI World Secretariat, Germany
• Irene Feige, Project Manager, Institute for Mobility Research (ifmo), Germany - The Future of Mobility - Scenarios for the Year 2030
• Christian Thiel, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Energy, European Commission, the Netherlands - Urban Market Introduction Perspectives
• Nils-Olof Nylund, Chief Research Scientist, VTT Processes, Finland - Use of biofuels in urban mobility
• Ludwig Karg, Chairman, International Network for Environmental Management (INEM); Executive Director, BAUM Consult GmbH, Germany - E-mobility, renewables and Smart Grids in cities

Plenary 3 - Sustainable mobility concepts, planning and the role of renewables

• Facilitator: Eicke R. Weber, Director, Fraunhofer ISE, Germany
• Facilitator: Wolfgang Seibold, Partner, Earlybird Venture Capital, Germany
• Facilitator: Wolfgang Teubner, Executive Director, ICLEI Europe, Germany
• Rolf Schumann,  Head of Project Development in Europe, Better Place, CEP, Europe, Business Development - Better place – next generation mobility
• Andreas Knie, Director Intermodal Services and Business Development, Deutsche Bahn Rent GmbH, Germany - The future of urban transport

Parallel Workshops

A1: Renewable Energy in Mass Transport

• Facilitator: Melanie Kloth, Project Manager, Polis- European Cities and Regions Networking for Innovative Transport Solutions, Belgium
• Andreas Hildebrandt, Press Officer, Freiburger Verkehrs AG, Germany - 100% renewable energy for the city tram system – VAG Freiburg
• Nimrod Levy, Air Quality Coordinator, Jerusalem, Israel - Electric Light Rail and bus grid in Jerusalem
• Michael Fröhlich, Engineer, Bombardier, Mannheim, Germany - Energy Storage on Board of Rail Vehicles

B1: Pilot projects for e-mobility

• Facilitator: Maryke van Staden, Coordinator Climate and Air Team, Coordinator of the CCP Campaign, ICLEI Europe, Germany
• Leszek Drogosz, Director, Infrastructure Department, City of Warsaw, Poland - Introducing electric vehicles and the connected infrastructure in Warsaw
• Maarten Linnenkamp, Director, Air Quality Department, City of Amsterdam, the Netherlands - Amsterdam electric scheme - 200,000 battery-driven vehicles in Amsterdam in 30 years' time
• Teodora Secara, Projects Coordinator, EURISY - Satellite services for sustainable energy in electric vehicles and transport

Study tours

• T.4: Visit to Vauban District
• T.5: Visit to Rieselfeld District
• T.6: Visit Freiburg´s Historic City Centre

Friday 15 October

Plenary 4 -Integrated sustainable urban mobility concepts and renewable energy

• Facilitator: Christof Timpe, Head of Energy and Climate protection Department, Öko-Institut
• Maryke van Staden, Coordinator Climate & Air Team, Coordinator of the CCP Campaign, ICLEI Europe, Germany - Summary of discussion highlights from previous day
• Karl Otto Schallaböck, Deputy Head of Research Group Future Energy and Mobility Structures, Wuppertal Institute for Climate and Environment, Germany - New fuels – the need for urban planning and new infrastructure
• Michael Weltin, Strategy and Business Development, E-Mobility@E.ON, Germany - Development of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in urban areas

Parallel Workshops

A2: Concept development: renewables and integrated sustainable urban mobility

• Facilitator: Carsten Rothballer, Climate Policy Officer, ICLEI Europe, Germany
• Gustaf Landhal, Head of Planning and Environment Department, Environment and Health Administration, City of Stockholm, Sweden - Planning and using biofuels in Stockholm
• Ramon Pruneda, Project Coordinator, Strategic Factors, Barcelona City Council, Spain - City of Barcelona and its electric car plan
• Michael Glotz-Richter, Senior Project Manager, City of Bremen, Germany - Carbon responsible transport

B2: Renewable Energy for Individual Transport and Car-Sharing

• Facilitator: Marissa Walzer, Renewable Energy Consultant, Endura Kommunal GmbH, Germany
• Matthieu Graindorge, European Project Manager, Mobility Department, Urban Community of La Rochelle, France - Electric Car Sharing
• Andreas Leo, Corporate Communications Manager for Germany, Daimler AG, Germany - Car sharing and hybrid cars
• Kevin Mayne, Vice president, European Cyclists' Federation (ECF), United Kingdom  - Bicycles and renewables: a complementary choice?

Plenary 5 - Perspectives & role of renewables in urban mobility: needs & expectations

• Facilitator: Wolfgang Teubner, Executive Director, ICLEI Europe, Germany
• Peter Dolejsi, Mobility and Sustainable Transport Director, European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), Belgium
• Michael Weltin, Strategy and Business Development, E-Mobility@E.ON, Germany
• Chris Bowers, Consultant and Editor, European Federation for Transport and Environment, Belgium
• Eicke R. Weber, Director, Fraunhofer ISE, Germany
• Michael Glotz- Richter, Senior Project Manager, City of Bremen, Germany
• Gustaf Landahl, Head of Planning and Environment Department, Environment and Health Administration, City of Stockholm, Sweden

Plenary 6 - Summary and outlook

• Rian Van Staden, Principle Consultant, Intelligent Renewable Energy, Freiburg, Germany - Main messages and reflections of Local Renewables 2010 Conference

Hosts and Organisers

Freiburg, Green City

The City of Freiburg is internationally renowned for its innovative and integrated approach to sustainable energy management and extensive use of renewable energy sources. As a result of its achievements, Freiburg was honoured as “Germany’s Most Sustainable Major City" in 2012, making the city an exemplary and qualified host. Colleagues from the city administration, scientific experts and representatives from the renewable energy sector will be on hand to provide information and advice from an insider’s perspective. Freiburg is synonymous with sustainable development and its ecologically progressive policies have a positive impact on its citizens’ quality of life. The city will be the perfect scenario for the conference, inspiring participants with tangible evidence that seeking energy sustainability and stakeholder collaboration are the way forward.

ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability

Freiburg is also the Host City of the ICLEI European Secretariat. Cities can only become sustainable if they drastically reduce their resource consumption and climate impacts. To achieve its mission, ICLEI, promotes the collaboration between local administrations and supports their progresses towards sustainable development. With its Cities for Climate Protection Campaign and Local Renewables Initiative ICLEI provides information, motivation and support to many local governments around the world.