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“There are not two crises occurring side by side—one environmental and one social—but a single, complex socio-ecological crisis.”
Laudato si’ – Pope Francis, 2015, paragraph 139
The FFG project “Refugium” was honored with the PRIMUS 4 PUBLIC Award in the Sustainability category on October 15 during the Kleinen Zeitung Kärnten und Osttirol awards ceremony. The project consortium, consisting of CARITAS, PLANUM, CU, IPAK, and the Refugium Association of the
Catholic Church in Carinthia, was delighted to receive this special recognition.
The decisive factor in this success was the concise two-minute project pitch by Dr. Wolfgang Hafner, who convincingly summarized the project’s goals and potential for the audience and a high-caliber jury.
Also present were the project’s conceptualizers and initiators, as well as current project partners: Mag. Harald Jost, Head of the Department for Stewardship of Creation, and Dr. Marie-Therese Fallast, a mobility and landscape planner at PLANUM. They recognized the great potential of inner-city church sites for innovative uses in the context of climate adaptation and the energy transition.
Through unique collaborations between the church and the city in the form of public-private partnerships, previously unused buildings and green infrastructure can be repurposed to address the impacts of climate change through a diverse range of measures. In addition to technical and infrastructural measures, social aspects and community participation are being integrated into the sustainable development of the four current church pilot sites. The project is complemented by scientific guidance from Prof. Dr. Daniela Ströckl (CU) and the opportunities offered by digitalization. An accessible, locally available information resource on environmental issues and climate adaptation is intended to reach people and motivate them to actively participate.
In this way, the consortium combines the efficient use of existing spatial and infrastructural resources with social responsibility in addressing climate change. In the spirit of *Laudato si’*, Refugium views ecological sustainability and social inclusion as inseparably linked. The award recognizes this holistic approach and the collaboration among various partners toward a livable, climate-resilient, and socially just future.
The experiences and perspectives of Klagenfurt’s residents are also being incorporated into the research project. A questionnaire explores how parishes can be perceived and further developed as sustainable places of active community and a culture of care. All residents of Klagenfurt are invited to share their perspectives and thereby contribute to the project’s ongoing work. It takes about five minutes to complete. We look forward to your participation. 👉 https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/mLfeACkXCS
For inquiries:
Dr. Marie-Therese Fallast, mt.fallast@planum.eu
DI Katja Schmidt-Hengst, schmidt-hengst@planum.eu
Together with the 
