The EUREF-Campuses Berlin and Düsseldorf have already transitioned to renewable energy

• At MIPIM 2024, EUREF AG and Schneider Electric will present methods and strategies for the building sector to achieve CO₂ neutrality while ensuring energy security
• The pioneering EUREF-Campus Berlin is a practical approach to achieving Germany’s 2045 climate protection target for CO₂ emissions
• EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf is nearing completion, with first tenants set to move in in summer 2024

Cannes, March 12, 2024.

The transition to renewable energy and CO₂ neutrality in the building sector remain key issues for the real estate industry. However, these objectives have already been effectively implemented at the EUREF-Campus in Berlin. Additionally, the EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf, currently under construction, will also comply with Germany’s 2045 climate protection target for CO₂ emissions right from the start. Karin Teichmann, Spokesperson for the Executive Board of EUREF AG, and Stefan Klepzig, Strategic Sales Director at Schneider Electric, will elaborate on the necessary steps, technologies, and strategies to achieve these goals at a press conference during this year’s international property trade fair, MIPIM.

The EUREF-Campus project in Berlin, launched in 2008 and still owner-managed, aimed to create a real-world laboratory showcasing the transition to renewable energy and its financial sustainability without the reliance on subsidies. By 2014, just six years later, the campus had already met Germany’s then existing climate targets for 2050. Recognising the pivotal role that scientific institutions, innovative private-sector enterprises, and creative start-ups could play, the campus became a hub for research, education, and entrepreneurship. This strategic convergence would foster synergies and forge enduring partnerships, harnessing collective innovation to propel the EUREF-Campus forward as a model district for sustainable urban development. Currently, around 7,000 employees are actively involved in advancing the energy transition on the Berlin campus which covers over 135,000 square metres.

Karin Teichmann, CEO of EUREF AG, highlights the key factors contributing to the project’s success: “The EUREF-Campus integrates cutting-edge climate protection technologies with intelligent architecture, innovative transportation systems, and renewable energy sources. However, our fundamental collaborative ethos has been the cornerstone of our achievements. And our close partnership with the sustainability experts at Schneider Electric has been instrumental in the success of the Berlin campus and continues to drive developments in Düsseldorf. The future EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf covers over 80,000 square metres and will soon be home to over 4,000 people working, researching, and in teaching roles to advance the transition to sustainable transportation and energy.”

Stefan Klepzig represents Schneider Electric, which was recently again listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index as one of the ten most sustainable companies in the world. He explains a crucial aspect of sustainable development: “While the technological capabilities for achieving climate neutrality have existed for a while, the challenge lies in implementing them on a larger scale. Our concept of networking, which involves integrating building and transport planning with energy generation and management across sectors, is recognised as a viable approach to address this significant obstacle. And the EUREF-Campus in Berlin and the forthcoming campus in Düsseldorf represent tangible examples of successful practical implementations of the transition to sustainable practices on a neighbourhood scale, with initiatives that not only demonstrate their feasibility but also debunk reservations about their financial viability.”

The 5.5-hectare Berlin campus serves as a model for sustainable urban development. Scheduled for completion in 2025, the EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf will surpass Berlin’s achievements and meet Germany’s 2045 climate targets right from its inception.

The new campus will not only be an example of practical application, but also a vibrant place where future innovations in the fields of energy, climate protection technology, environmental protection and transport will be researched, developed, tested for practical suitability and exhibited. The concept of the campus will foster collaboration between scientific institutions, industry groups, innovative start-ups and major businesses to bring environmental and economic issues together. Among the special features of the new Düsseldorf campus are the use of the nearby quarry pond as a source of thermal energy and a so-called Mobility Hub as a testing and start-up platform for new forms of transport.

 

Press contact:

Karin Teichmann | Spokesperson for the Executive Board of EUREF AG

Phone: +49 30 264 767-15 | Mail: karin.teichmann@euref.de