Sustainable development, with its ecological, social and economic concerns, is being considered a transversal objective within the Thuringian OP ERDF. In the context of environmental sustainability, environmental indicators for monitoring, comparing, and evaluating the state of the environment play an essential role. For this reason, an information system "Environmental Monitoring of the Structural Funds" was already developed during the last funding periods. This environmental monitoring was adapted to the 2014 to 2020 funding period and will be continued. The environmental goods soil, water, biodiversity / landscape and climate / air are observed by environmental monitoring, by means of indicators. The environmental monitoring includes 15 environmental context indicators and 7 measure-specific supplementary indicators. A trend evaluation of the development of environmental goods takes place in the form of an annual analysis of the indicators. The ecological context indicators are based on the UMK set of indicators with environmental relevance for sustainable development agreed nationwide and confirmed by the 62nd Conference of Environment Ministers (UMK) in 2004. The monitoring measures agreed upon for the OP ERDF as an outcome of the strategic environmental assessment, are implemented in the form of environmental monitoring (according to Article 10 of Directive 2001/42/EC of 27 June 2006 on the evaluation of the ecological impact of specific plans and programs).

The goal of sustainable development must be explicitly considered as a transversal objective in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the Thuringian Operational Programme for the European Regional Development Fund (OP ERDF).

Regulation (EU) No. 1303/2013 and the OP Thuringia ERDF 2014 - 2020 (OP) are the legal and programmatic bases.

The idea of sustainability was directly incorporated into the funding portfolio. ERDF funds are used to finance a wide variety of support programs, which in particular support investments by Thuringian companies and local authorities and contribute to sustainable development in Thuringia and the use of environmentally friendly technologies.

The OP concentrates on the following priorities, specific objectives, and projects regarding the issue of "sustainability":

• Promotion of measures to reduce CO2 emissions in all sectors of the economy
• Increase of energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies in companies
• Increase of energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy in the public sector
• Energy efficiency improvements in municipalities and urban neighbourhoods
• Risk management and prevention, environmental protection and promotion of the sustainable use of resources
• Improvement of flood protection - risk prevention in Thuringia
• Restoration of near-natural ecosystems, with the key priorities running waters and river basins
• Sustainable urban development
• The revitalisation of areas concerning the settlement context
• Strengthening selected municipalities as attractive economic and social areas

With the establishment of the operational programme, specific result indicators were assigned to the priority axes and target values to be achieved by 2023 were set. Thus, it is possible to monitor and document the environmental impacts in individual funding areas and, if necessary, to react.

The following result indicators have been defined:

1. CO2 emissions from energy consumption by manufacturing, trade, services and other consumers (excluding households) (in million t)
2. Energy-related CO2 emissions from public buildings (national buildings) (in tonnes)
3. CO2 emissions from private households, trade, commerce, services and other consumers (in million t)
4. CO2 emissions from transport (in million t)
5. Damage potential through flooding (in euros)
6. Percentage of flowing waters meeting hydromorphological quality requirements out of all watercourses (in %)
7. Population of valuable species in flowing waters and river basins

Some of the respectively defined target values have already been met. In the case of energy-related CO2 emissions from state buildings as well as from the population of valuable species in flowing waters and river basins, this has already been achieved.

In other areas, considerable efforts are still necessary to meet the targets. This is especially the case for CO2 emissions excluding private households and the share of high-quality watercourses.

Overall, however, Thuringia is on the right track in this respect, as evidenced by the data trends of recent years.

The data presented are based on statistical surveys by the TLS as well as separate surveys by the relevant specialist authorities. Not all data are collected annually.

In detail:

CO2 emissions from energy consumption in the manufacturing sector,

trade, services, and other consumers (excluding households) (in million t)

2010:                           8.479 million t

2014:                           8.337 million t

2015:                           8.207 million t

2023: (Ziel)                 7.700 million t

energy-induced CO2 emissions from public buildings (state buildings) (in t)

2011:                   99200 t

2014:                   61161 t

2016:                   55758 t

2023: (Ziel)         79000 t

CO2 emissions from private households, trade, industry,

and other consumers (in million t)

2011:                           7.757 million t

2014:                           7.233 million t

2015:                           7.296 million t

2023: (Ziel)                 6.981 million t

CO2 emissions from transport (in million t)

2011:                           3.932 million t

2014:                           3.837 million t

2015:                           3.796 million t

2023: (Ziel)                 3.538 million t

Damage potential through flooding (in €)

2013:                           € 3.500 billion

2017:                           € 3.452 billion

2023: (Ziel)                 € 3.120 billion

Percentage of flowing waters meeting hydromorphological quality requirements out of all watercourses (in %)

2016:                         13%

2017:                         20%

2023: (Ziel)               43%

Population of valuable species in rivers and river basins

2012:                       100

2014:                       100

2016:                       138

2023: (Ziel)             120