The town of Kleve and Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences (HSRW) are jointly organising the first Kleve Sustainability Award. Under the title ‘Klever Birne’, residents, associations, companies and other organisations are invited to submit their ideas.
The town of Kleve and Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences (HSRW) are jointly organising the first Kleve Sustainability Award. Under the title ‘Klever Birne’, residents, associations, companies and other organisations can submit their ideas. “We want to encourage the people of Kleve to get involved in promoting greater sustainability, rather than imposing bans and penalties,” explained Mayor Wolfgang Gebing at the launch of the award. “We want to bring the topic of sustainability to the region through accessible initiatives,” added Dr Peter Kisters, Vice-President of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.
What makes the prize special is that the best proposals will receive support from the city and the university during their implementation. The award ceremony is scheduled for 14 September 2023.
Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences (HSRW) and the city of Kleve have been committed to the issue of sustainability for many years. The university is now taking this a step further: as part of the TransRegINT project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with ten million euros, it is actively promoting the issue across the region. To this end, Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences aims to identify needs, develop solutions and share expertise in the districts of Kleve and Wesel. The city of Kleve fully supports this strategy. It was on this shared basis that the idea for the Kleve Sustainability Award was born. The logo features a pear, which symbolises good ideas. Consequently, the name for the award was quickly decided upon: ‘Klever Birne’.
Projects submitted for the prize must align with one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. “This isn’t just about climate protection and the environment, but also about social issues such as integration and tackling poverty,” explained Pascale van Koeverden, who works in the Climate Protection, Environment and Sustainability department at the City of Kleve. Furthermore, the projects must be innovative and easy to implement. “We’ll see just how varied the ideas are. This fits in with our philosophy that many small cogs working together can make a big difference,” added Peter Kisters.
It is in the nature of sustainability that projects are actually carried out and given a long-term perspective. “To support participants in implementing their projects, we offer coaching throughout the process,” said Maike Böhm, coordinator of the Interaction Hub within the TransRegINT project at HSRW.
The application period runs until 4 August 2023. On 31 May 2023, prospective participants will have the opportunity to attend an information session at the university from 6.00 pm. The opportunities on offer will be presented in detail there. Once the application deadline has passed, the twelve best ideas will be announced in mid-August. An online workshop on 23 August 2023 will enable applicants to prepare for the presentation of their idea on the day of the awards ceremony – ‘Make an Impact Day’ – on 14 September 2023.
Which of the twelve finalists actually wins will only be decided on ‘Make an Impact Day’ at the university itself. This is because they will first have the opportunity to present their idea to the public, after which a panel of experts will decide who deserves the ‘Klever Birne’ award.
A total of three prizes will then be awarded, with prize money ranging from 500 to 2,000 euros. In addition, an audience prize will be awarded, with the winner receiving a pear tree. All prize winners will also receive professional coaching. Anyone wishing to take part can find out more and register at www.kleverbirne.de.
