Wuppertal in the spirit of the future: Sustainability Congress inspires 500 guests!

Wuppertal in the spirit of the future: Sustainability Congress inspires 500 guests!

On November 6, 2025, Wuppertal was a hotspot for everyone interested in sustainability and social prosperity. The sold-out sustainability congress, organized by the Sparkasse Wuppertal, dem Wuppertal Institute and the New efficiency, attracted over 500 guests and had the motto “Climate and Confidence”. The event began with the opening lecture in which Prof. Dr. Christa Liedtke spoke about social prosperity without a growth fetish.

The congress was not only a platform for scientific exchange, but also for personal inspiration. This is what university professor Dr.-Ing. Markus Zdrallek about the future of the energy infrastructure in Wuppertal and the energy transition. His vision of the “Energy District of the Future” encouraged those present to think about innovative solutions.

Emotions and courage

Prof. Dr. gave an emotional accent. Maren Urner with her lecture “Radically Emotional”, in which she discussed dealing with emotions and their influence on decision-making processes. Anselm Pahnke, an extreme adventurer, also spoke in his article “Courageously taking new paths” about his personal bicycle trip through Africa and the challenges he had to overcome along the way. These stories of uncertainty and courage moved the audience and inspired deep conversations.

WDR presenter Anja Backhaus led the event, which offered a good opportunity to make further contacts with a networking opportunity in the form of a “market of possibilities”. Afterwards, neighborhood poet Anna Lisa Azur rounded off the program with a creative rhyme.

The voice of confidence

The organizers, Jochen Stiebel and Axel Jütz, particularly emphasized the need to form alliances to overcome ecological challenges. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Pferdedick emphasized that confidence is particularly important in times of political uncertainty. The participants had the opportunity to actively engage with questions surrounding sustainability and to develop ideas that could have an impact far beyond the congress.

The Sustainability Congress in Wuppertal shows once again that the topic of sustainability and its connection to economic and social prosperity is more than just a trend. From interested families to professionals – the congress was aimed at a broad audience and made it clear that every individual can make a contribution to shaping the future sustainably. Information on further developments and insights into the topics is available on the congress website.