GreenStep Cities hosted a workshop on Climate Smart Municipalities with presenters from both Minnesota and Germany. For the past three years, five Minnesota GreenStep Cities communities have partnered with five communities from the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to advance climate action. At this October workshop, presenters discussed this partnership and innovative electric vehicle practices in both states.
Abby Finis (Great Plains Institute) introduced the workshop, giving background on the partnership, visits to Germany, and sharing innovative practices through partnerships. The cities of Iserlohn, North Rhine-Westphalia and Elk River, Minnesota presented on their partnership and electric vehicles. Ulrike Badziura (City of Iserlohn) discussed electromobility and shared data from the State of Iserlohn on electric vehicle usage. Amanda Bednar and Tom Sagstetter (City of Elk River) shared results from a FleetCarma electric vehicle study done in Elk River, actions Elk River has taken on electric vehicles, and their partnership with Iserlohn. Next, Bernd Bartunek (South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences) presented on transportation innovation, including vehicle and fuel technology and market penetration. Lastly, Larry Herke (Office of Enterprise Sustainability, State of Minnesota) shared updates on the State of Minnesota Fleet Action Plan. The workshop concluded with a question and answer session.
