A central problem of sustainability and climate impact research is the transfer of research results and scientific findings into practice. There is now a great deal of knowledge about the interrelationships and possible impacts of human actions, but this knowledge does not automatically lead to a rethink among individuals or even to changed strategies for action in politics or the economy. An important aspect here is that the existing knowledge is of a general or global nature. Specific knowledge at the local level, on the other hand, is usually not available. Yet it is important for companies of all sizes and in all sectors to address the issue of climate change, as it will have an impact on the entire value creation process. Many large companies have already set up working groups and departments that deal with what impacts are to be expected on their business model and how to react to them at an early stage. The many small and medium-sized enterprises, on the other hand, often do not have the necessary resources to develop a climate change adaptation strategy. To support these businesses, the Klimafit project is developing a standardised process to create local resilience concepts. Of course, municipalities also benefit when local businesses prepare for the challenges of climate change, as this is the only way to preserve their economic strength and the municipal tax base in the long term. Therefore, cities and municipalities should also play an active role. The Klimafit project is therefore about enabling municipalities or business development institutions to work together with local businesses to develop a joint, locally adapted resilience concept for climate change that encompasses various sectors. The core of the project is the participatory development of a guideline to guide the process and a complementary internet tool for online modules. This guide will contain a detailed description of how municipalities can develop a resilience concept with detailed measures together with local SMEs. In the state capital Kiel, this process will be carried out for the first time as an example.

Duration: 04/2017 – 03/2018
Client: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)
Team: Dr. Angela Jain (Project management), Charlotte Hegel, Uta Zetek
Project partner: Potsdam-Institut für Klimafolgenforschung (PIK), Kieler Wirtschaftsförderung (KiWi)