Enzkreis District
The Enzkreis, which covers an area of just under 570 km² (199,026 inhabitants, 23 municipalities and 5 cities), owes its special charm to four different types of landscape. The northwest belongs to the Kraichgau, which is intensively used for agriculture. Fields, meadows and vineyards dominate the landscape. The Stromberg, bordering to the east, is a popular recreational area thanks to forested heights, gentle valleys and sunny vineyards. The Heckengäu captivates rather by its harsher beauty: sloes, red and hawthorn hedges crisscross this sparse area. In the southwest of the Enzkreis, the northern Black Forest opens its gates with dense fir forests and forest meadows, wide plateaus and narrow valleys. The district surrounds the city of Pforzheim and lies in the immediate vicinity of the metropolises of Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. Economically, medium-sized companies from the fields of mechanical and vehicle engineering, metal processing, medical technology and precision mechanics dominate.
The Enzkeis was already involved in a regional project for climate change adaptation via the model project for regional planning (MORO) for spatial development strategies for climate change via the Regionalverband Nordschwarzwald/Mittlerer Oberrhein. Due to its topographical location at the edge of the Black Forest, the district is more affected by climate change than other regions. Examples: Heavy rainfall event in Königsbach-Stein and damage caused by storm-like rainfall in the district in 2016, spread of invasive species, increase in storms and storm intensity, drought in agriculture, and heat in urban agglomerations.
The Enzkreis’s 2020 climate goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 25 percent was exceeded by 33 percent. In anticipation of the new climate protection law of Baden-Württemberg, the decision was made to set a new interim target with a CO2 reduction of 45 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. As a supporter of the state’s climate protection pact, the Enzkreis has also set itself the goal of achieving a largely climate-neutral administration by 2040. The implementation of climate protection measures is based on an integrated climate protection concept published in 2015. In addition, as a participant in the European Energy Award, the Enzkreis annually implements an energy policy work program adopted by the district council and was awarded EEA Gold status for the third time in 2019.
