Eschweiler is now “Germany's most sustainable city of medium size” and received prize money of €30,000 for sustainable urban development projects. The German Sustainability Award of the Allianz Environmental Foundation recognizes municipalities that are committed to turn their urban development process sustainable in terms of their economic potential or have successfully implemented exemplary sustainability projects in specific areas.

For Eschweiler, the city twinning with Alta Floresta in Brazil, initiated and supported by FGV Europe, was an important cornerstone on the road to the award. From the point of view of the jury, it shows the willingness of the municipality to assume its global responsibility.

Since January 2017, stakeholders from both cities are cooperating actively. Since both municipalities are undergoing an intensive structural change and want to face their future challenges through sustainable actions, Alta Floresta and Eschweiler can learn a lot from each other. The core idea of the development partnerships is to jointly establish a strategic exchange “on equal footing” by using synergies and implementing concrete projects in the areas of economic development, structural change, agriculture and forestry, research and development, and nature conservation. Projects shall go beyond municipal borders and include partners from the surrounding cities and regions of both cities.

After initial talks and a visit of the mayor of Alta Floresta to Eschweiler in 2017, a delegation from Eschweiler travelled to Brazil in March 2018, supported by state and federal funds. To expand and intensify the cooperation, further funding is available, for example, to implement local climate protection and education projects or projects for the expansion of renewable energies.

On 29th October 2018, the city of Eschweiler was handed out the award of German Sustainability for Towns and Municipalities 2019 in the category of medium-sized cities in a ceremony in the town hall of Eschweiler. Nearly 150 guests attended the ceremony and enjoyed together the achieved success of the town.