County of Oldenburg

County of Oldenburg

2024 Voluntary Local Review for the County of Oldenburg. Implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the global Sustainable Development Goals at the local level

Insights of the Report

The County of Oldenburg recognises sustainability as a cross-sectional task requiring cooperation across administration and with external partners. An internal steering committee continues to drive this agenda, embedding sustainability and climate protection into the county’s updated mission statement and advancing a holistic strategy.

Under the motto “better together”, the county seeks to ensure that all residents can live and work well in the long term. Awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is being raised across administration and politics, supported by best practices and concrete courses of action. Cooperation with municipalities and promotion of environmentally, economically and socially sustainable projects are central to this effort. Key priorities include expanding digital infrastructure, with fibre-optic networks enabling modern services and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in adapting to digitalisation. The county also emphasises inclusion and integration, treating diversity as an asset and building structures to ensure equal participation in social life.

Targets in housing and mobility include eco-friendly construction, affordable and barrier-free housing, and intermodal mobility concepts to reduce traffic and improve quality of life. Climate protection runs as a central thread, with an integrated concept guiding the path to greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045, complemented by work on climate adaptation and administrative climate action.

Further efforts focus on organic farming, regional food marketing, sustainable land use, water protection, waste management, and preserving natural landscapes through conservation and gentle tourism.

Citizen engagement, transparency, and responsible budget policies underpin all activities. The County of Oldenburg sees itself as a learning organisation, committed to sustainable action—today, tomorrow and for future generations.

City Profile

The County of Oldenburg, located in north-western Lower Saxony and part of the Metropolitan Region Northwest Germany, covers 1,603 square kilometres of diverse landscapes including agricultural land, nature reserves and moorlands. With a population of around 135,000 (as of December 2023), it comprises the town of Wildeshausen, several municipalities and the municipality group Harpstedt. The Wildeshauser Geest nature park, floodplains of the river Hunte, and extensive cycling and hiking networks make the county an attractive destination for tourists and nature lovers. Economically, Oldenburg combines traditional farming—especially milk and meat production—with a diverse range of small and medium-sized enterprises, supported by excellent transport links via the A1, A28 and A29 motorways, and reliable bus and rail services. Tradition and modernity meet in Oldenburg, where a high quality of life is shaped by natural diversity, cultural vibrancy and recreational opportunities, underpinned by a strong commitment to sustainability and the 2030 Agenda.

The Report and more

The VLR report is available here:
2024 Voluntary Local Review for the County of Oldenburg. Implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the global Sustainable Development Goals at the local level