Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung

Environment and natural resources

Protection and preservation of biological variety and green and blue infrastructures, risk prevention, flood and disaster control, a resource-efficient circular economy as well as a sustainable use of natural growth potentials form an important focus of transnational cooperation for a green, climatie-neutral Europe.

How can cities and regions become more sustainable and ressource-efficient with Interreg B?

Wortwolke Umwelt und natürliche Ressourcen
Source: BBSR

From “A like afforestation” to “Z like zero waste”: people and regions become more resource-oriented. They increasingly understand that there is no “planet B”. Access to, consumption and quality of our water are used more efficiently and many economic processes and consumer behaviour are questioned. Nature with its biodiversity no longer only serves personal recreation, but also fulfils important functions, so-called ecosystem services. Heat stress and air quality pose challenges to urban spaces.

The transformation towards more sustainability must be well-shaped so that the potentials become effective for all citizens. The Interreg programme areas make it possible to look at natural areas in a broader context, for example with regard to the protection of fragile ecosystems in the Alpine region or the joint work on sustainable coastal and marine protection in the Baltic Sea region. The “Green Deal” reaffirms the realisation that tackling resource-related and environmental challenges is the decisive task of this generation. The Interreg B programmes are well qualified to address the challenges faced by regions and cities in shaping a green transformation:

  • Conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems
  • Valorisation of ecosystem services
  • Multifunctional, green and blue infrastructure
  • Sustainable water management

The topic “a green and climate-neutral Europe” will be funded by all six transnational programmes with German participation with partly different priorities in the current 2021 – 2027 programming period. Sustainability is a cross-cutting principle among all funding topics. All programmes support strategies and pilot actions, approaches and solutions to protect biodiversity and ecosystems that make cities and regions more sustainable and resource-efficient.

More information

Good examples of the topic "environment and natural resources" can be found at Projekte (in German).

Related publications

Klima- und Ressourcenschutz in Stadt und Region mit Interreg B. Fördermöglichkeiten der transnationalen Zusammenarbeit 2021 – 2027 für den Bereich Energie, Klima und Umwelt. Einzelpublikation. Ed.: BBSR, Bonn, April 2022 BBSR website (in German)