Lesson 1: Municipal sustainability

The importance of municipal sustainability continues to grow

Sustainability is more than just environmental protection - it means acting today in such a way that future generations can also live well. Local authorities - i.e. cities, municipalities and districts - play a central role in this. They decide how things are built, purchased, planned and managed and also act as role models for citizens. Many important decisions that affect our everyday lives are made by the municipal administration.

Sustainable municipal action means:

Conservation of resources, e.g. through the economical use of energy, water and materials
Long-term planning instead of short-term solutions, e.g. in urban development or the construction of public buildings
Fair and socially responsible behaviour, e.g. in the awarding of contracts or public participation
Climate-friendly business practices to reduce CO₂ emissions and actively promote environmental protection
Orientation towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations - take a look at the SDG indicators for municipalities on

In their day-to-day work, administrative assistants often have to deal with such decisions. It is therefore important to learn how to manage, think and act sustainably during their training. Administrative assistants can play an active role in shaping the future: through sustainable procurement, climate-friendly decisions and an awareness of the consequences of their daily work in administration.

Learning objectives of this lesson:

What does sustainability mean in administration?
The three pillars of sustainability
The 17 SDGs and their relevance for municipalities
Examples of municipal sustainability
Evaluate sustainable projects in the community and develop your own ideas

Tasks for the classroom

Checklist: How sustainable is our administration?

We have compiled a checklist for Assessment of the sustainability of your municipality or training centre. This list contains examples of sustainable municipal procurement, energy saving, waste avoidance and much more.

Task: Enter "Yes", "Partly" or "No" for each question. Add specific examples or ideas for improvement from your own school or training centre. Where do you think there is potential for improvement? Then discuss the checklist in small groups and draw up three concrete suggestions for more sustainability in your community or training centre.

Quiz: Sustainability in figures

You can test your knowledge of sustainability in a quiz. We have prepared ten questions. Several of the four alternative answers can be correct.

Task: Select the correct answer(s) for each of the ten questions. The quiz can be completed individually or in groups. Who is the sustainability champion?

Worksheet: The three pillars of sustainability

Sustainability means using resources in such a way that future generations can still live well. This is not just about environmental protection, but also about achieving a balance between ecology, economy and social issues. These three areas are also known as the pillars of sustainability:

Ecology: Environmental/climate protection, biodiversity, clean air, energy saving
Economy: Profitability, efficiency, sustainable growth, fair trade
Social: Education, health, social justice, participation of all groups

Task: Open the worksheet and assign the examples to the three columns. Put an X in the appropriate column (multiple answers are possible) and answer three questions:

Which pillar is particularly important to you personally - and why?
In which areas of your municipality / training centre are measures relating to the three pillars already being implemented?
What else could your administration do to act more sustainably?

Teamwork: Sustainable projects in our region

Form groups of 3 to 5 people. Research and analyse sustainable projects from your city or region. The aim is to present a project that shows how local authorities are actively contributing to greater sustainability - for example through climate protection, social participation or sustainable construction projects.

Task 1: Search online, in the local newspaper or on your city council's website for sustainable projects or measures from your region. Examples:

Public buildings with solar systems and/or green roofs
Energy-efficient street lighting
Fairtrade initiatives
Sustainable playground renovation with recycled materials
Programmes for social participation
Transport concepts or bike hire systems

Task 2: Create a digital poster or a short presentation (max. 5 minutes) in which you present your project. Answer the following key questions:

What is the name of the project? Who is responsible for it?
What is the aim of the project?
Which pillars of sustainability are taken into account?
Which SDGs are supported by the project?
How is the project financed or realised?
What do you find particularly successful or in need of improvement?

Task 3: Present your chosen community project to the class with the poster or short presentation:

Each group presents its project in a maximum of 5 minutes.
Use the poster or your slides as support.
Pay attention to clear language, visual material and an exciting introduction!

Reflection (after the presentation): Think about the following points:

Which project do you find particularly inspiring and why?
What could your municipality learn from the projects presented?

Educational game: Sustainability Memory

Important technical terms from the field of municipal sustainability are deepened in a playful way. In this game, identical pairs of pictures do not have to be matched, but rather municipal SDG goals with suitable practical examples.

Task: Assign (alone or in a team) examples of municipal sustainability activities to the SDG goal that can be achieved with the measures.

First click on any card and then try to click on the matching counterpart.

If a pair is found, it continues. Otherwise it's the next one's turn.

Who is the quickest to find the most correct SDG pairs?

Certificate of participation for pupils and trainees

You can issue students and trainees with a certificate of attendance to document their successful participation in the eight lessons. The Free template for the certificate can be requested here without obligation.

Free sample pack with teaching material to accompany your lessons

To better convey the lesson content in class, you can free of charge and without obligation request a sample pack with material samples, information brochures and demo products.

The package contains samples of coloured rubber granulate, samples of high-quality recycled products made from tyre rubber granulate and a sample box with samples of sustainable floor coverings for roofs.

I hereby request a free, no-obligation
NEW LIFE school package for the classroom.

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