15 September 2025 Gerersdorf Elementary School is Climate Miles summer winner 2025

Children from Southern Burgenland secured the summer victory in the Austria-wide Climate Miles campaign by making their way to school in a climate-friendly manner.

Whether by bus, on foot, with a scooter, or using public transport – in the Climate Miles campaign organised by Climate Alliance Austria, children from all over Austria collect climate-friendly journeys to kindergarten and school, known as ‘Climate Miles’. Before the summer holidays, an interim evaluation was conducted based on the Climate Miles collected by participating educational institutions in the first half of the year.

In doing so, Gerersdorf Elementary School from Burgenland emerged as the Climate Miles summer winner in 2025. The 29 pupils collected an impressive 400 Climate Miles within a week, making their journeys in a climate-friendly way.

Award by Federal Minister Peter Hanke

As a reward for their collecting enthusiasm, the pupils and teachers of Gerersdorf Elementary School were personally presented with a certificate and a trophy at an award ceremony in Vienna by Federal Minister Peter Hanke and Climate Alliance Managing Director Elke Kastner.

 'The children clearly signal a sustainable future. Their commitment shows that the mobility transition doesn't start someday but here and now—and every step counts!' enthuses Peter Hanke, Federal Minister for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure.

Furthermore, the pupils received an invitation to Schönbrunn Zoo. The summer winners' travel was provided by Österreichische Postbus AG. The pupils themselves brought along a poem.

'We are a small elementary school in Southern Burgenland. It is therefore very important to us to convey to the children that it's up to each of us to protect our environment, nature, and also the climate', emphasises headmistress Krisztina Stimpfl.

A goal that the elementary school undoubtedly achieved this year.

Elke Kastner, Managing Director of Climate Alliance Austria, also expressed her enthusiasm: 'Gerersdorf Elementary School demonstrates that even a small school can make a big impact. The children have impressively shown that collective action works and that climate protection can have a firm place even among the youngest.'

Actively mobile with the Climate Miles campaign

The Climate Miles campaign has taken place annually across Europe since 2003 and is supported by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility, Infrastructure (BMIMI). A 'Climate Mile' corresponds to a climate-friendly kindergarten or school journey undertaken. If a journey is completed car-free, a Climate Mile can be applied as a sticker in the collection pass or on the shared group poster. Climate Alliance Austria offers free materials for kindergartens and schools as well as leisure facilities up to the 7th grade. Intensive collecting also continues in the autumn.