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France-Germany and the Upper Rhine: measures to combat climate change

A cross-border air observatory is being built in the Upper Rhine.

It is not easy for political decision-makers in border areas to monitor indicators relating to air pollution, climate or energy in a comparable way with neighbouring territories and to implement appropriate actions. This is why the "Atmo-Rhena PLUS" project was launched in early 2023. Supported by the Interreg Upper Rhine program, its objective is to "raise awareness among political decision-makers to act together against air pollution and climate change by reducing pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions in their territories, whether cross-border or not, by providing them with a harmonized cross-border database of the Air-Climate-Energy inventory of their territories, as well as a decision support tool". Within three years, after the end of the project, an "Air-Climate-Energy dashboard" for the Upper Rhine will be available online, as well as "various maps illustrating the state of play on pollutants, greenhouse gases and energy consumption and production". Actions will also be proposed to reduce air pollution, including their evaluation and impacts.
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the Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict adopted a "cross-border climate action plan"

At the same time, on a more local scale, the Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict adopted a "cross-border climate action plan" on March 30. Developed in partnership with the Ortenau Energy Agency, the Eurometropolis Climate Agency, this plan is an adherence to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13: "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts".
As the Secretary General of the Eurodistrict, Anika Klaffke, underlined at the launch: "This initiative must be understood as a complementary mechanism to the plans already in place in the municipalities and communities of the territory".
Among the priorities of this action plan:

• deepening cross-border coordination for the implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, with the creation of a cross-border forum of experts;
• sustainable mobility, with a mobility plan for the Eurodistrict;
• to encourage the involvement of citizens to become actors of climate policy.