Alderman René van Drunen and the Festival 't Kirchroa va Mörje

Sustainability va Mörje

Heat plan, climate adaptation, flooding, circular economy, heat transition, (large-scale) energy generation, mine water from Germany. These are all topics covered in the Sustainability Agenda of the municipality of Kerkrade. Tackling the consequences of climate change is an enormous task that requires our attention today, and which each of us can also do something about ourselves. With the government as supporter and inspiration.

"Awareness is the first challenge," says Alderman van Drunen. "And then the real participation of everyone. The transition is a task for all of us, not just the municipality. We want to challenge and enthuse our residents, because looking ahead means reaping benefits. For your wallet, your home and your living environment. Stronger together for tomorrow and future generations. More than once the measures are seen as finger-pointing or sacrifice, but you can also see it differently. Picking it up together offers opportunities to raise living standards and make our municipality - better."

What are we doing as a municipality to help people with this?

The Municipality of Kerkrade wants to make strides in the field of sustainability and does so in several areas. Alderman René van Drunen has a clear focus on energy poverty: "Ensuring that every home can be efficiently supplied with energy and heat is one of my big goals! An ambition that we can only realize if everyone moves along and participates."

Some focal points:

• Energy and Climate Fund Kerkrade (EKFK) as one of the components of the Insulation and Sustainability Program.
• Energy poverty: the development of a white goods scheme and the deployment of handyman teams in cooperation with the WoonWijzerWinkel Limburg.
• Communities of the Willing facilitated by the Province of Limburg to work collaboratively with municipalities, housing associations and other external stakeholders on medium-term solutions to energy poverty.
• Working group Sun on Roof, to encourage solar panels.
• Submit plans for the National Insulation Program to, among other things, make 2.5 million homes more sustainable/energy efficient.
• Developing the Heat Transition Vision (TVW 2.0).
• Circularity: 
  •  The SUPERLOCAl project. 
  • Establishing a "Circular Economy Implementation Program.
  • Circular building as one of the focal points within the Park City Region.
  • The implementation of an "Urban Mining Scan.
  • Within the municipality sort waste including the GFT stream and increase awareness among employees through knowledge sessions.

Festival 't Kirchroa va Mörje

Van Drunen: "The festival should be vibrant, inspire action, and showcase great Kerkrade examples. We are at the beginning of important changes. To help in the search for solutions, we need to be close to the residents and offer the broadest possible support in a variety of areas. The Festival 't Kirchroa va Mörje will become a larger umbrella in the coming years and now serves as a starting point to grow further. To empower people in the areas of sustainability and the social domain, with the municipality as a helping hand. A growth model, an information point, a highlight to show what we can do. In conversation, going into the neighborhoods, picking up what residents, businesses and associations are working on and seeing solutions ourselves. Getting smarter together. The need is there and it is more than clear that something must be done. We have told it too cautiously in recent times and it is time to increase the sense of urgency. We have already gone through a transition and we really can do this again. From coal to gas and from gas to green. All the necessary ingredients are there and if we are collectively prepared to make a contribution, it will certainly succeed."

See all 18 events of the Festival 't Kirchroa va Mörje from Oct. 14 to 21