The pilgrimage town of Kevelaer has been implementing numerous measures in the context of municipal climate protection for many years. From 2009 to 2023, the central element was participation in the quality management and certification process of the European Energy Awards (eea) with multiple awards. Kevelaer has been participating in the eca since 2021.
After a 4-year process, Kevelaer was one of the first municipalities to receive the European Climate Adaptation Award (eca) on May 8, 2025. The European Climate Adaptation Award is an implementation-oriented instrument for municipal climate action. The eca process involves reviewing the current status, identifying areas for action and implementing measures to adapt to changing climatic conditions. The aim is to improve municipal preparedness, quality of life and risk minimization with regard to the increasing consequences of climate change, e.g. heavy rainfall or long periods of heat. All relevant areas of administration were examined in a comprehensive process.
The eca municipalities were honored by NRW Environment Minister Oliver Krischer and Ilga Schwidder, Managing Director of the eca federal office.
Mayor Dr. Dominik Pichler and the city's climate adaptation manager Leon Schlüter were delighted to accept the award on behalf of Kevelaer.
"With the eca, we were able to establish important foundations for climate adaptation in Kevelaer," says the mayor happily, adding that "this is by no means the end of our efforts to protect the population from the effects of climate change."
The pilgrimage town of Kevelaer is currently working on a comprehensive climate adaptation concept in which current measures are being developed together with local stakeholders.