National Climate Initiative

Since the beginning of 2008 the Federal Gobernment implemented a comprehensive Climate Initiative. The goal of the Climate Initiative is to tap existing potential for reducing emissions in a cost-effective way and to advance innovative model projects for climate protection. Specifically, climate protection measures for increased energy efficiency and greater use of renewable energies should be promoted.

The focus of the National Climate Initiative is on consumers, industry and municipalities and on social and cultural establishments. The support programmes and individual projects aim to

• advance climate-friendly technologies in a targeted way
• demonstrate and disseminate innovative climate technologies using model projects and
• identify and overcome barriers preventing the implementation of climate protection measures.
  

Five support programmes have been published so far as part of the national initiative:  

• Guidelines on promoting climate protection projects in municipalities and in social and cultural establishments
• Climate incentive programme for the installation of mini-CHP plants (CHP: combined heat and power) in private households and commercial enterprises
• Climate incentive programme for commercial refrigeration plants
• A programme for promoting projects to optimise biomass energy use and
• An extension of the existing  market incentive programme for renewable heat. 
  
  

An action programme "Climate in Schools and Educational Establishments" comprises coordinated actions on energy saving, improved energy efficiency, the installation of renewable energies, the provision of teaching materials, the qualification of teaching staff, the implementation of model projects, the organisation of climate days and other projects to raise climate awareness.

The market incentive programme supports installations using renewable energies by providing investment grants, low-interest loans and repayment grants. The focus is on heat generating facilities such as solar panel installations, solid biomass plants and efficient heat pumps for hot water and heating in buildings, as well as on larger installations such as deep geothermal installations, biomass heating plants and local heating grids which use renewable energy sources.  

The BMU aims to develop a general support framework for the market launch and penetration of climate technologies and to present this to the EU Commission for approval. Further support programmes can then be set up (from 2009) within this framework, including for industry.