The Climate Agency Essen, which is a project-financed institution of the Department of Environment of the City of Essen, is an independent point of contact for consumers. The agency has implemented a wide range of public-oriented measures for climate protection and local energy transition. Furthermore, it has initiated municipal networks in the fields of renewable energy, mobility and buildings.

Due to the expiring funding of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the research project "Climate Initiative Essen" both the question of the qualitative continuation of its activities as well as of a new strategic positioning arose for the Climate Agency. For this reason, the City of Essen has commissioned the Wuppertal Institute with a brief study and strategy consulting for the Climate Agency, which included the following tasks:

• Short evaluation of achieved effects of the Climate Agency
• Strength and weakness analysis of the existing activity profile
• Initiation of a discussion to determine strategies and measures for a newly designed Climate Agency within the climate protection activities of the City of Essen
• Requirement analysis of the activities of a newly designed agency in the city
• Developing strategic approaches for the Climate Agency from 2017 on.

The evaluation resulted in recommendations for the topics function and image, network activities, communications and content, organization and personnel as well as the financial basis. Recommendations include strategic approaches in the areas of climate strategy, objectives and mission statement, communication and marketing concept as well as documentation and monitoring system.