Sustainable Dresden

Sustainable city of the future

Dresden has the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development firmly in sight, with a bundle of coordinated initiatives that are evaluated on an ongoing basis. As a FAIRTRADE CITY, Dresden promotes fair trade at a local level. In the "Local Agenda 21 for Dresden", more than 80 initiatives have pledged their commitment to sustainability. The REGKLAM (Regional Climate Change Adaptation Programme) project is working on sustainable transport planning and urban development, and, with a view to 2030, the German Federal Ministry of Research and Education is developing a holistic and sustainable vision for Dresden as a "City of the Future".

Becoming sustainable: Dresden on its way to a city of the future

Dresden was named one of eight German "Cities of the Future" by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and since 2015, the Saxon state capital has been on its way to becoming a sustainable and innovative city. Civic participation plays an important role in this context, with Dresden citizen developing ideas and projects jointly with scientific institutions, which – supported by the city council – will be implemented over the next few years.

Dresden as a role model for smart city solutions

Commitment pays off: In the German Smart City Index 2021, Dresden made it into the top 10 in 6th place as "Rising Star of the Year". This success is driven by initiatives such as the EU project "MAtchUP" for smart, clean cities, in which DREWAG - Stadtwerke Dresden GmbH is involved together with local partners. Dresden's great technological expertise in the key areas of energy efficiency, digitalisation, decentralisation, renewable energies, multimodality and electromobility makes the city a pioneer for solutions that work in practice. Above all, it pays off that Dresden, as a leading European high-tech location, can fully exploit digital technologies for future-oriented urban development, with local research institutions and businesses being global pacemakers for smart city solutions. For example, the experts of Dresden’s 5G Lab Germany are already working on 6G.

Green tech innovation made in Dresden

70 research institutions and more than 270 companies ranging from start-ups to internationally operating businesses – Dresden's green tech players are a powerful cluster from which numerous internationally renowned solutions have already emerged. The diversity of innovative environmental technologies is particularly impressive: Looking for the world's first mass producer of solar films? A Dresden-based company launched a new technology in 2021, and by 2030 it should be possible to equip every type of building with the organic thin-film solar solutions for a 100 percent green electricity supply. No less ground-breaking is a mobile recycling plant developed in Dresden that can break down plastic waste and convert it into synthetic crude oil, a concept that is being implemented with partners in 27 countries. Get to know Dresden's innovative movers and shakers!

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