Best Practice - Gastvortrag Michael Deflorian

Municipal Climate Protection in Innsbruck: Public Administration Shapes Public Policy - Guest Lecture by Michael Deflorian (GERMAN)

Municipal climate protection dares the impossible: implementing the systemic transformation required by climate change at the local level—with the means of bureaucracy, which traditionally manages rather than changes the status quo. In short, public administration shapes public policy in municipal climate protection. After reflecting on the societal and economic developments that have brought municipal climate protection to the forefront, the city of Innsbruck is presented as a case study. How do you design an organizational unit that specifically addresses climate, energy, circular economy, and the environment? What internal and external hurdles arise in the implementation of climate protection measures? And where is it evident that a sustainable city for all is already being created? These and other questions will be answered together with the audience using tangible examples.

Michael Deflorian studied Political Science and Environmental History in Berlin and Uppsala. In 2022, he defended his doctoral thesis in Economic and Social Sciences at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. For eight years, he has been involved in research and teaching on climate-friendly urban development, ecological consumption, and sustainability management. Prior to that, Michael Deflorian gained various work experiences with an NGO, the European Parliament, a startup, and his family's food business. Michael Deflorian is currently the head of the Office for a Climate-Neutral City in Innsbruck.