Baden-Württemberg: Heat plans and climate coaching for all communities!

Baden-Württemberg: Heat plans and climate coaching for all communities!

On July 2, 2025, the state government of Baden-Württemberg will announce comprehensive measures for the heat transition and climate protection. A new draft law passed on June 24, 2025 requires cities and municipalities to create heat plans and concepts for adapting to climate change. This is done in the context of the Climate Adaptation Act (KAnG) and the Heat Planning Act (WPG), whereby the existing Climate Protection and Climate Change Adaptation Act (KlimaG BW) is amended accordingly. The initiative aims to create a uniform framework for all municipalities, regardless of their size. According to stadt-und-werk.de, not only 104 large district towns are affected, but all municipalities in Baden-Württemberg.

As part of this new regulation, municipalities will be given the task of supporting citizens and companies in switching to climate-friendly heating systems. For smaller communities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, a simplified procedure is planned to make it easier to comply with the new requirements. Planning convoys consisting of several communities should also be made possible. This funding aims to jointly address the challenges of the heat transition.

Deadlines and requirements

The deadline for drawing up the heat plans is June 30, 2028. Existing plans remain valid, but must integrate the new specifications when they are updated for the first time. By July 1, 2030, all heat plans must be standardized nationwide. In addition to the heat transition, municipalities must also develop concepts for adapting to climate change. These concepts are aimed at identifying risks such as heat waves, heavy rain and drought and designing appropriate measures to mitigate these risks.

In order to achieve these ambitious goals, the state government relies on close cooperation with the districts. These are intended to support smaller communities in particular and can create joint adaptation concepts. The local councils decide on the proposed measures, which enables democratic participation on site. Concepts created or updated since January 1, 2015 remain in effect and are subject only to review in light of the new requirements. According to [ Beteiligungsportal.baden-wuerttemberg.de](https:// Beteiligungsportal.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/service/pressemitigung/pid/waermeplanung-und-klimaadaptationskonzept-fuer-alle-kommunen-1), financial compensation will also be provided for the personnel and material costs incurred.

Support from the state government

The state government provides municipalities with relevant data free of charge and offers training and information on how to implement the new requirements. Environment and Energy Minister Thekla Walker emphasizes the importance of early measures in Baden-Württemberg to ensure climate-friendly heat planning. The roadmap for creating the heat plans will serve as a central guide for the municipal transformation of heat supply in order to be able to adequately meet the challenges of climate change.

The new laws and measures thus provide the basis for sustainable development in the area of ​​heat supply in Baden-Württemberg and help to consistently pursue the state's climate goals. It remains to be seen how municipalities and citizens will implement these new requirements and how this will affect the quality of life in the country in the long term.