Mannheim, Germany

Mannheim

The City of Mannheim wants to reach new target groups for the Local Green Deal in the project. This requires a new climate communication strategy that involves all departments within the city administration. One focus should be on target groups that have been difficult to reach so far in order to achieve a just transformation and to make the sustainable activities of the city administration more visible.
 

Mannheim is a proudly diverse and industrious city, often described as a “melting pot” where people from across Europe come together to build a better urban future. Citizens are generally supportive of strategic urban development and share a collective interest in the city’s well-being. The city’s leadership is committed to fulfilling its Mission 2030—based on the SDGs - with a strong emphasis on improving communication strategies to better convey its accomplishments and vision, especially in the context of initiatives like GreenDEMO, which aims to position Mannheim as a pioneer in just transitions. 

Despite its ambitions, Mannheim faces several interlinked challenges. Communication gaps have left many citizens unaware of key initiatives such as the Local Green Deal (LGD) and the broader goals of GreenDEMO. The city struggles to engage residents in complex sustainability concepts, and generally further eroded trust. Rising living costs and gentrification are pushing lower-income families to the periphery, worsening quality of life and fueling frustration. GreenDEMO’s goals—such as promoting sustainable lifestyles and democratic participation—are hindered by a lack of visibility, limited citizen engagement, and the recurring involvement of only a small, familiar group of participants. 

To address these issues, Mannheim is pursuing cross-departmental collaboration and working on tools helping colleagues that are not familiar with communication issues. Actions include capacity building with Design Thinking methods and restructuring the city’s homepage. GreenDEMO plays a central role in supporting the LGD team with accessible and recognizable tools to show the benefits for the citizens of green transformation. The initiative emphasizes improving local quality of life and transitioning from a green to a just transition—both locally and as a model for Europe. To succeed, GreenDEMO must help bridge the gap between knowing and acting and support the city in reaching “the unreachable” through better storytelling and citizen engagement. 

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