Dispatch from Düsseldorf
- Christina Lundgren
- Apr 29
- 4 min read
January 13, 2025
The student delegation kicked off the trip in Düsseldorf, the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), with a focus on climate policy. The current state government is a coalition between the conservative CDU party and the Green Party. Their ultimate goal: to make NRW the first climate neutral industrial region of Europe.
The delegation’s first stop was the Ministry for Environment, Nature Protection and Transportation (MUNV). Viktor Haase, Deputy Minister of MUNV, welcomed the students with a compelling message: sustainability requires viewing challenges from diverse perspectives, whether through the lens of different nations or academic disciplines. Haase encouraged the group to see this exchange not just between the U.S. and Germany, but also among the students themselves, and to learn from one another’s unique insights. The delegation itself reflects this diversity, comprising 24 students from the Morris, Rochester, and Twin Cities campuses, representing 19 distinct disciplines across the sciences and liberal arts.
Uwe Wolf, Head of International Relations and Networks of MUNV, emphasized the importance of regional leadership in driving national progress. He noted how both Minnesota and NRW can leverage their achievements in climate action to influence policy making in other cities and regions, even when federal level momentum slows.
Tackling climate protection and transport
Dr. Kathrin Goldmann, Deputy Head of Fundamental Policy Issues on Mobility and Climate Protection in the Transportation Sector at MUNV, shared an overview of NRW’s transportation challenges and solutions. NRW has 20% of Germany’s emissions when it comes to transportation and is struggling to get emissions down. One of the challenges is not having enough people to drive the trains.
To address these challenges, NRW has implemented ambitious initiatives:
The Deutschland ticket, allowing unlimited travel on local public transport for €58 per month, is estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by 300,000 tons.
Expanded funding for public transit and digitized rail infrastructure.
Increased availability of electric vehicle charging stations.
Investments in walking and biking infrastructure, including “bike highways.”
Alyssa Kennedy, a graduate student from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, reflected on the stark differences in public transportation infrastructure between NRW and Minnesota. “It’s eye opening to see how robust public transit is here compared to what we have in the Twin Cities,” she said. “We have a lot to learn.”
Adapting to climate change
David Höpfl, Deputy Head of Climate Adaptation and Coordination of Climate Protection Measures at MUNV, shared insights into NRW’s climate adaptation strategies. Using warming stripes to illustrate temperature increases since 1881, Höpfl connected the data to the growing frequency of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and flash floods, as well as slower changes, such as an increase in average temperature and changes in precipitation.
Key initiatives include:
A comprehensive climate adaptation strategy paper with 110 measures across 16 action fields.
Funding programs to support local actors, including cities, civil society, and the private sector.
Enhanced data sharing and education to foster informed decision-making.
Troy Goodnough, Sustainability Director at the University of Minnesota Morris, contextualized adaptation strategies within Minnesota’s own climate challenges. He noted that Minnesota winters have warmed 15 times faster than summers in recent decades. Highlighting the state’s Climate Action Framework, Goodnough emphasized the importance of justice through initiatives like Justice40, which aims to allocate 40% of climate related federal funding to disadvantaged communities. He also discussed UMN Climate Adaptation Partnership’s Minnesota Climate Mapping and Analysis Tool (CliMAT), which provides highly localized climate projections for the state, helping communities plan for future impacts.
Energy policy and the transition to renewables
At the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action, and Energy (MWIKE), Deputy Minister Paul Hoeller outlined NRW’s ambitious goal to become Germany’s first climate neutral industrial region. As the country’s largest energy producer, largely reliant on lignite, NRW is transitioning to hydrogen and renewable energy sources.
Diana Tapia Ramon, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, drew parallels between Minnesota and Germany’s efforts to drive innovation through pilot projects. “Agrovoltaic projects in Minnesota offer a valuable opportunity for international collaboration,” she said, emphasizing the coexistence of energy generation and farming.
Building relationships for a sustainable future
The day concluded with a dinner to celebrate the special relationship built between Minnesota and NRW, hosted by Deputy Minister Viktor Haase and special guest Preeti V. Shah, Consul General for the United States in Düsseldorf. Both emphasized the importance of relationship building and intentionality in sustainability efforts. Haase shared how past visits by Minnesota leaders had laid the foundation for ongoing partnerships and addressed the students as “the leaders and decision makers of tomorrow.”
In light of it being a national day of mourning, on January 8th, Preeti V. Shah reflected on her experience working with the late President Jimmy Carter, who famously installed the first solar panels on the White House. “He made you feel like you were the only person in the room,” she shared, highlighting the value of personal connection in driving meaningful change.
Henry Hietpas, an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota Morris, summarized the spirit of the delegation’s experiences: “I keep thinking about what Troy said ‘Sustainability is relational work.’ What’s so amazing about this trip is how it’s helping us build relationships across disciplines. These connections will last well into the future.”
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