Zero Emission Nature Protection Areas

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ZENAPA is facing the challenge of reconciling the energy transition in Germany with the most diverse requirements in terms of climate protection, nature conservation and species protection. The project aims at the CO2eq-neutrality of protected areas and adjacent districts and implements national and European climate protection goals under consideration of national and European biodiversity and bio-economic strategies. The project area comprises 11 large conservation areas (national parks, biosphere reserves, nature and geoparks) and their adjacent districts as well as the model community of Rhaunen and thus covers more than 10% of the total area of ​​Germany.

ZENAPA will develop 12 climate protection master plans, one for each partner region, that deliver a tailored action plan for energy efficiency, renewable energies and nature conservation, which the partners must implement within eight years. This planning process is supplemented by the development of a more detailed implementation plan with so-called "Strategic Biodiversity and Climate Protection Concepts". They are based on the energetic redevelopment of residential areas according to the methodology of the KfW program "Energy Efficient Urban Redevelopment". These concepts are developed for 90 municipalities and counties and serve the technical and economic preparation of the implementation of energy efficiency measures, regenerative energies, district heating systems and in this context measures for nature conservation and biodiversity.

In addition, ZENAPA ensures that each project partner has a local person responsible for climate protection, who coordinates the ZENAPA project management and the implementation process in the partner region.

ZENAPA also aims to carry out actions in the target regions not only through the project partners, but also through public sectors, private companies, the food industry, agriculture, tourism and above all local residents. In order to push this forward and to reach a wide range of stakeholders in the project area, each partner carries out various campaigns on the project topics. This process is complemented by the development and implementation of innovative financing models and newly founded local energy companies. This will result in the generated added value being maintained in the region. The development of regional funds and the "certification model: climate and species protection" are essential pillars for the financing of measures of different actors at the project partners’ local level.