ESG-STADTLABOR as a driver of technology and innovation for the climate-neutral city

Starting point / motivation

The exploratory proposal ESG-STADTLABOR is dedicated to the specific challenges of urban centers, especially smaller cities, in the implementation of sustainable urban development in the context of ESG criteria (environment, social, governance). As cities are responsible for a large proportion of CO₂ emissions and consume many resources, smaller cities in particular often lack the capacity to systematically implement ESG initiatives. Personnel and financial bottlenecks, fragmented planning processes and a lack of data transparency make it difficult to develop sustainable strategies and cause uncertainty among the administration and the population.

Contents and goals

This is precisely where the ESG-STADTLABOR comes in: It is intended to serve as a practice-oriented decisionmaking aid for cities with around 5,000 to 15,000 inhabitants throughout Austria. The core element is the development of an ESG-compliant process database as a best-practice matrix that serves as a guide for the planning and implementation of sustainable urban development projects. It makes processes transparent, identifies synergies and facilitates the transfer of proven methods. Discussions with local authorities confirm the relevance of the project. Practical strategies that actively promote citizen participation and structurally integrate ESG aspects into municipal processes are particularly in demand. One example is St. Veit an der Glan: initial sustainability initiatives are in place, but there is a lack of comprehensive anchoring of ESG criteria in the city administration and in decision-making processes.

Methods

The project pursues an integrative approach in which ESG is not seen as an add-on, but as a central steering instrument. Based on workshops with citizens, administrative staff, political representatives and other stakeholders as well as empirical surveys, digital tools are to be used to make decision-making processes transparent, comprehensible and participatory. The challenges lie in the technical infrastructure, access to data and the necessary organizational changes.

A central focus is on the transferability of successful solutions from larger cities to smaller municipalities. This is an aspect that has received little attention in research to date. While numerous individual studies on the environment, social issues or governance exist, there is no integrated management model that combines all ESG dimensions and is tailored to the conditions of small cities. The ESG-STADTLABOR aims to close this gap and establish ESG as a holistic management model for urban development and administration. Research is being conducted into the feasibility of implementing an ESG-based evaluation framework that promotes data-based, transparent decisions, strengthens public trust and enables active participation.

Expected results

In the long term, the project aims to bring about structural change in city administration and development. Initially in St. Veit an der Glan, but in the long term in numerous other cities. ESG-compliant processes, digital support systems, intensive citizen participation and a heightened awareness of sustainability should make smaller cities resilient, socially just and fit for the future. By developing and evaluating a set of criteria for an ESG-compliant process database, the project is making a concrete contribution to the implementation of the tender's objectives.

Project management

• leveldrei Projektentwicklung GmbH

Project partners

• future.lab – Werkstatt für soziale Innovation und nachhaltige Transformation resilienter Städte
• FutureRoom Consulting
• punktgrün e.U.
• Bramreiter Holding GmbH

leveldrei Projektentwicklung GmbH
Kalvarienberggasse 23/3, 1170 Wien
Phone: +43 664 4238223
E-Mail: m.zois@leveldrei.at
Web: www.leveldrei.at