Another important milestone in the structural transformation of Lusatia has been reached. The region has officially been designated a Net Zero Valley, taking on a pioneering role in the transformation towards a climate-neutral industry.
A Net Zero Valley is a region in which the establishment and implementation of climate-neutral industrial projects is deliberately accelerated. The basis for this is the European Net Zero Industry Act. Its goal is to promote technologies that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable a climate-neutral economy in the long term. These include renewable energy, energy storage technologies, hydrogen, components for power grids, and sustainable industrial production processes.
With the designation of Lusatia as a Net Zero Valley, Europe gains its first cross-border model region, jointly supported by Saxony and Brandenburg. This provides Lusatia with a clear strategic framework for future investment, innovation and industrial development.
The regional approach plays a particularly important role. The concept for the Net Zero Valley Lusatia was developed within the region itself. Municipalities, companies and research institutions worked together to identify suitable sites and develop measures that actively advance the structural transformation. This process was coordinated, among others, by the City of Cottbus and the district of Görlitz.
For cities such as Hoyerswerda, this development is of major significance. Structural change in Lusatia does not only mean moving away from traditional industries, but above all creating new perspectives. The Net Zero Valley provides reliable framework conditions, planning certainty and new opportunities for jobs, value creation and innovation across the entire region.
An important point to note is that the Net Zero Valley does not introduce special rules or shortcuts in environmental or construction law. Instead, it leads to clearer, better coordinated procedures and a stronger focus on climate-neutral technologies.
The transformation in Hoyerswerda and Lusatia once again proves to be a shared process. One that is designed regionally, embedded at the European level, and oriented towards the long term.
