Focus on climate protection and digitalisation Interview with Prof. Dr Jörg Knieling, HCU

In the following interview, Prof. Dr Jörg Knieling, HafenCity University, explains which thematic fields are the primary subjects of research at his university.

EEHH: HafenCity University has defined climate and digitalisation as its core areas of action. How is this reflected in the curriculum and in your research areas?

Prof. Knieling: “As a strategic measure, HCU has placed the twin areas of climate action and digitalisation right at the centre of its focus. Consequently, both are highly prioritised across all HCU degree programmes. In terms of research, we have a wide range of ongoing projects addressing climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and the challenges of digitalisation. In the MetroLab – part of HCU’s Urban Planning and Regional Development department – we explore what more sustainable major cities and metropolitan regions might look like. Currently, our geographical focus is on the Baltic Sea region, particularly the STRING cooperation, which stretches from Hamburg through Copenhagen and Malmö all the way to Oslo.

Thematically, we focus on climate neutrality and energy transformation, as well as resource conservation – such as the circular economy and land-use sufficiency. In the field of transformative governance, our research looks closely at new formats for dialogue and cooperation, alongside stakeholder and citizen engagement. For instance, a few years ago, through the EU research project Cities-4-People, we were able to trial a ‘living lab’ for citizen participation in the Altona district. This provided the initial spark for the traffic-calming initiatives in Ottensen, which the district is implementing this year under the Freiraum Ottensen (Ottensen Open Space) project.”

EEHH: You maintain close contact with the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region. Could you explain how Nuremberg approaches and implements climate action? Where do you see differences compared to the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and what might be sensible approaches for Hamburg?

Prof. Knieling: “HCU’s MetroLAB has been linked with the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region through various research projects for many years. We are currently working on the Klimapakt2030plus (Climate Pact 2030 Plus) project, which looks at the energy transition and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research. Much like Hamburg, the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region has turned its rather weak institutional structure into a strength. It has become a master networker, bringing stakeholders together to co-develop regional strategies and deliver projects. Hamburg could learn a lot from Nuremberg when it comes to networking, securing third-party funding for projects, and successfully implementing regional initiatives.

Nuremberg also uses its network to connect regional players around climate action, sharing successful case studies and fostering urban-rural cooperation. To facilitate this, they set up the Sustainability and Climate Action Forum. Through the Climate Pact, the forum has established a vision for the future – a voluntary commitment detailing how the region aims to become climate-neutral by 2040.

The Klimapakt2030plus research project marks another milestone for the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region. The project examines how metropolitan areas can contribute to delivering the energy transition and meeting climate targets. Its living labs, ‘Transformation of Energy Supply’ and ‘Transformation of Building Stock’, bring practitioners and academics together. Specific initiatives include ‘one-stop shops’ (which bundle energy efficiency advice for buildings), building renovations for apartment owner associations, and intercommunal energy communities.”

EEHH: HafenCity University is also looking into municipal climate budgets in the Baltic Sea region. What exactly is a municipal climate budget? Where do they exist, and how do they work? Could you share a few examples?

Prof. Knieling: “In the EU cooperation project Climate-4-Cast, cities and regions from across the Baltic Sea area are developing a practical blueprint for how a climate budget can drive climate action. Put simply, a climate budget shows policymakers exactly what volume of CO2 emissions a public investment project will generate. It serves as a management tool that links climate targets directly to budgetary planning. The European pioneers for climate budgeting are Oslo and Trondheim in Norway, alongside Tampere in Finland. However, Copenhagen, London, Stockholm and Vienna – as well as Montreal and New York – are also working with these tools. Hamburg is also part of Climate-4-Cast.”

EEHH: Another of your projects focuses on “Regionalwerke” (regional municipal utilities). Here, municipalities form small-scale utilities and act as investors for open-space solar arrays and onshore wind farms. Could you give us some practical insights into this.

Prof. Knieling: “Regionalwerke are publicly owned companies that operate plants for generating renewable electricity and heat, offer regional green energy tariffs, or take on other municipal tasks like water supply and waste management. Klimapakt2030plus accompanies and supports various regional utilities within the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region. Prime examples include Zukunftsenergie Nordostbayern GmbH (ZENOB) and Regionalwerk Haßberge. HCU has examined the drivers for cooperation, motivation and goals, as well as the catalysts and barriers for both established and planned regional utilities. For the energy transition in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, it would be well worth evaluating these experiences to see how regional utilities could contribute to the energy transformation in Northern Germany.”

Thank you very much for this fascinating conversation, and we wish you every success with your future research!