When it comes to more sustainable and climate-friendly development, industrial regions face special challenges – they have to make the transition to a green industrial region. Using the example of the Ruhr area, researchers have now determined which transformations this requires and what the chances are. Their result: After all, the Ruhr Metropolis could have great pioneering potential for two out of seven indicators, and it is well on the way with three others.
The current world climate report has confirmed it once again: Humanity must change course – away from fossil fuels and industries towards more sustainable, climate-friendly technologies and economic methods. The industrial regions play a key role in this transformation. Because for them the challenges of a changeover are particularly high, at the same time they can contribute a lot to the change – and must also: “A ‘green’ transformation towards climate protection and sustainability is the essential prerequisite for an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable future of Industrial regions ”, says Manfred Fischedick from the Wuppertal Institute.
Is the change to a green industrial region feasible?
Fischedick and his colleagues have examined how such a change in industrial regions can succeed using the example of the Ruhr area. “Especially if the Ruhr Metropolis, with its special conditions as an industrial and metropolitan region, succeeds in pursuing the holistic path of sustainable development in an ambitious, goal-oriented and accelerated manner, this can provide an important blueprint for many other industrial and metropolitan regions worldwide,” said the team. Specifically, the researchers initially defined, along seven central fields of action and 35 indicators, what constitutes a “green industrial region” and what changes are necessary for this.
Then came the next step: using seven central indicators, the scientists examined the potential of the Ruhr Metropolis to take on a global pioneering role in the transformation into a green industrial region. These seven key indicators include greenhouse gas emissions, nitrogen oxide pollution, the share of renewable energies, means of transport, the share of green spaces, the condition of rivers and the number of people employed in the environmental sector. For the Ruhr area, the researchers determined how far the transformation has progressed and what prerequisites the region offers for the further transformation towards a green industrial region.
There is still a lack of traffic, and there are good approaches to emissions
The result: In two indicators, the Ruhr area has so far rather little potential to become a pioneer region. This includes traffic: “There is little potential here because developments so far are still going in the wrong direction,” confirm Fischedick and his colleagues. Because so far the share of motorized individual transport has increased and public transport such as trams are even being shut down in parts. Although the region, as a densely populated metropolis with short distances, has good prerequisites for more sustainable transport, a fundamental, ambitious and goal-oriented change is necessary here, according to the team. So far, the metropolitan region has had rather poor conditions for the supply of renewable energies within its own region. Nevertheless, solar roofs and district heating could at least improve the balance here.
On the other hand, it looks much more positive for three other indicators in which the researchers confirm that the Ruhr area has at least medium potential to be a pioneer: in terms of greenhouse gases, nitrogen oxide and rivers. Among other things, the planned conversion of the steel industry to hydrogen by 2050 will help to reduce emissions, the levels of traffic-related nitrogen oxide emissions are already falling, and funding for electromobility for light commercial vehicles and hydrogen propulsion for heavy vehicles has already begun. In both points, the researchers therefore see good chances that a transformation into a green industrial region could even take effect before 2035. There is also a good chance for the ecological regeneration of the rivers in the region. Because with the Emscher conversion, the Ruhr area has already implemented a key measure of international appeal, according to the scientists. However, it will take many years or even decades until all rivers are in good ecological condition.
High potential in environmental management and greening
The Ruhr area, on the other hand, could have particularly great potential as a green pioneer in the last two indicators: in green and recreational areas and in environmental management. In the environmental sector, the number of employees has already increased by 12.4 percent between 2010 and 2019. According to Fischedick and his team, a further increase of 35 percent by 2035 could be quite realistic. The driver of this development is the high density of universities and research institutes in the region, but also the active start-up scene in the Ruhr area. There are similarly positive approaches to the green and recreational areas. Green algae and parks have grown by seven percent since 2017, and district parks, industrial culture and industrial nature are now recognized trademarks of the Ruhr Metropolis.
The conclusion of the scientists: “The region has come a long way in some areas, but there is still some catching up to do in others. Taking this path now consistently and at an accelerated pace offers a great opportunity, ”says Fischedick. “If the Ruhr Metropolis implements the transformation process in an ambitious and goal-oriented manner, it can become an exemplary model region for many industrial conurbations around the world – with a climate-neutral steel industry, extensively renatured waters and a strong environmental economy.”
Source: Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy gGmbH; Technical study: Transformation to the ‘greenest industrial region in the world’ (PDF)