Committed to climate protection

Looking back at the #climatechallenge project: Learning to actively shape climate action with practical, hands-on steps

09.06.2026 – After more than three years, the #climatechallenge collaborative project is coming to an end. The Karlsruhe Transformation Center for Sustainability and Cultural Change (KAT), together with its partners Germanwatch e.V. and netzwerk n e.V., has promoted the #climatechallenge educational program throughout Germany. As part of the project, approximately 750 people participated in training for change agents. Although the project has ended, training materials, best practices and promotional materials remain available.

Gruppenfoto junger Menschen lachend und gestikulierend im Grünen.

Even after the project ends, interested people can still draw on a network of trained facilitators who offer #climatechallenge workshops or #climatechallenge training sessions on a fee-for-service basis in schools, universities, extracurricular educational institutions, or community settings.

The #climatechallenge educational initiative generally has as a target to motivate people to reduce their personal carbon footprint. In addition, people are encouraged to advocate for more comprehensive climate protection in their communities and thereby increase their “handprint.” After all, in the long run, it is more effective to change structures and establish solutions that promote sustainability so that as many people as possible can adopt climate-friendly behaviors.

"The #climatechallenge and the network it created have given me new courage to seek out new allies, to trust them, and to take the initiative!" Participant of a #climatechallenge workshop at a college

The trained #cc multipliers in the #climatechallenge project of the same name have reached over 1,000 people in schools, colleges, extracurricular educational institutions, and community settings, who have implemented numerous Footprint and Handprint challenges: From increasing the vegetarian options at carnival events, to replacing paper towels at an institute, to hosting a repair café. All these actions demonstrate that the Handprint, as a structural change measure, has great potential to advance climate protection.

Personen arbeiten mit Tablets, auf dem Bildschirm ist ein Arbeitsblatt der climatechallenge zu sehen.

Zwei junge Personen arbeiten gemeinsam an einer Projektposter der climatechallenge.

Frau präsentiert Arbeitsblätter der climatechallenge vor einer Gruppe an einem Flipchart.

The Project in Numbers

  • 71 #climatechallenge workshops nationwide
  • 1,135 workshop participants
  • 750 trained facilitators in 54 intensive training sessions
  • 7,255.2 metric tons of CO₂ emissions saved, according to monitoring

The project also helped individuals develop climate education skills: As a result, the perceived options for taking action through the Handprint increased significantly. As part of Handprint challenges, participants actively worked to bring about change in their communities. At some universities, the #climatechallenge is even being institutionalize – that is, permanently incorporated into the curriculum.

Gruppe lachender Menschen im Freien vor blauem Himmel.

Zwei Personen besprechen auf einem Teppich ein Lernmaterial zum Thema Handabdruck.

Illustration einer nachhaltigen, grünen Stadt mit Menschen auf Fahrrädern und urbanem Gartenbau.

The #climatechallenge educational initiative will continue

Given the continued rise in global CO2 emissions, decisive action on climate protection remains more important than ever. While the funded #climatechallenge project is coming to an end, the #climatechallenge educational format will continue. It will continue to be shared around the world so that climate action becomes the norm rather than an option.

The network of trained #cc multipliers (the Climate Challengers) will also remain in place. Anyone interested in organizing a #climatechallenge in their own setting – whether at a school, university, or an extracurricular educational institution – can reach out to the network.

Gruppe von Menschen vor dem „Zukunftsraum für Nachhaltigkeit und Wissenschaft“, sie halten Plakate der climatechallenge in der Hand.

“We’d like to thank all our supporters, advocates, and partners. It’s impressive how many people across Germany have actively championed climate protection. I and the entire team are very grateful for that” says Markus Szaguhn, co-project lead at KAT. Annika Fricke, also a co-project lead at KAT, adds: “And with that, we’ll now say goodbye. Our commitment continues in other projects at KAT and beyond.”

Get Involved

Further information about the network of #climatechallenge advocates, training materials, and project experiences is still available free of charge on the #climatechallenge website. For example:

  • Experienced #cc advocates who are available to lead #cc workshops or #cc training sessions for a fee.
  • A digital training video that explains the educational format.
  • In addition, experiences are shared on how the educational format can be adapted to different contexts: for schools, colleges, municipalities, clubs, or extracurricular learning settings. An explanatory video also covers everything you need to know about the #climatechallenge.

Interested individuals can also refer to the guide for facilitators. A limited number of printed copies are available for pickup or order at the Zukunftsraum für Nachhaltigkeit und Wissenschaft in Karlsruhe (while supplies last). Additional information and materials can be found in the downloads division. All #cc materials are published under the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-SA.

Learn More

Logo des Projekts #climatechallenge