Great success in Germany for the “Climate-Friendly Camping” project, which started on November 1, 2022, and concluded on June 30, 2023. Funded by the state government of Lower Saxony and organized by the Federal Association of Camping Industry (BVCD) in collaboration with EcoCamping, the program involved around twenty campsites with the goal of putting climate protection at the forefront of the debate, a true challenge for the years to come.
In a press release, the Federal Association, which represents over 1,200 campsites in Germany, highlighted the successful outcome of the project, surpassing all expectations.
The participating campsites were guided through interactive workshops, seminars, and individual consultations to implement various sustainability measures. These included choosing a green electricity or green gas supplier, installing heat pumps, and replacing oil heating systems with wood pellet systems. As a result, considering the overall results of all the campsites enrolled in the project, a CO2 reduction of over 10% was achieved.
Emissions related to overnight stays
In more detail, to allow for comparability between campsites of different sizes, greenhouse gas emissions were converted into the number of overnight stays. It was found that the average CO2 footprint of the participating campsites is 1.74 kg CO2 per overnight stay. The individual campsite results were excellent, with a minimal footprint of 0.32 kg CO2 per night, which is very close to the climate neutrality target.
This is clearly the beginning of a journey where campsites will plan and implement individual roadmaps in the medium and long term, which will include additional technical measures such as constructing photovoltaic systems, installing larger heat pumps, improving building insulation, and optimizing the use of residual heat.
The individual action plans also include design aspects, such as shading and greening of buildings and sites with regional drought-resistant plants, as well as organizational measures such as promoting the use of public transport for the arrival and excursions of tourists and adjusting the offerings in campsite shops and restaurants to promote the use of regional products and reduce meat consumption.
In addition to the improvements within the businesses, the project also focuses on raising awarenessand promoting climate-friendly behavior among guests.
At the conclusion of the project, the ClimaCamps guide was also developed, specifically targeting camping businesses that wish to further develop their commitment in this direction. Gathering all the knowledge acquired during the project, the guide provides information and practical solutions for planning the path towards climate neutrality.
The best campsites
At the end of the project, 6 out of the 25 participating campsites received the new ambitious ClimaCamps recognition, while others announced their intention to apply for certification.
The award actually consists of three levels and serves as an incentive for campsites to gradually improve their climate protection measures. Level 1, “Climate-Conscious Campsite,” was achieved by the campsites Böhmeschlucht, Camping am Waldbad, Naturistencamp Sonnensee Hannover, Camping Bullerby am Attersee, and Nordsee-Campingplatz Hooksiel. Uhlenköper-Camp in Uelzen has already taken a step forward and earned the title of “Climate-Active Campsite”. The highest recognition, Level 3 Klimaplus, represents an ambitious goal yet to be achieved, but for which all campsites are ready to work with great commitment in the coming years.
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