Nachhaltigkeit und Klimaschutz

Our sustainability promise

For NEULAND, sustainability is more than just a guiding principle. As the city’s largest housing provider, we create living spaces that inspire today and will endure tomorrow. Our aim is to combine affordable housing with energy-efficiency upgrades, community engagement and transparent reporting.”

In doing so, we are guided by the three pillars of sustainability: Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). These form the framework for our day-to-day operations – from refurbishments involving insulation, optimised heating systems and the expansion of solar panels, to new-build projects with project-specific energy efficiency standards. In doing so, we combine measures relating to the existing building stock with social neighbourhood work and corporate governance.

Stronger together for sustainable living

Sustainability cannot be achieved alone – it is built through collaboration. That is why NEULAND focuses on strong partnerships and active dialogue. As a founding member of the Wohnen.2050 initiative, we are working on climate pathways for the housing sector. We set out our specific goals and measures in the DNK report. Because we are convinced that: ‘What one person cannot achieve, many can.’

This is another reason why we are part of other strong networks within the sector:

In this way, we combine regional dialogue with national expertise for our work in Wolfsburg.

Environment - our responsibility

Our greatest lever for climate protection lies in the supply of heat. A large proportion of our housing stock is connected to the municipal district heating network. Further reductions in CO₂ emissions therefore depend largely on the decarbonisation of the heating network.

In accordance with the statutory requirements and deadlines, the local heating plan will be published – with the heating plan as the final step – by December 2026 at the latest.

Municipal heating planning, in conjunction with the transformation plan for decarbonising the district heating network, enables us, NEULAND Wohnungsgesellschaft mbH, to draw up a climate pathway.

Our focus is therefore not on a change of system, but on efficiency: when carrying out energy-efficiency upgrades, depending on the building, we focus on insulation, window replacement and optimising the heat supply. In this way, we are gearing our buildings towards a lower calculated heat demand.

We utilise the existing district heating infrastructure and improve building efficiency through modernisation measures to reduce heat loss.

Our measures include, amongst other things, energy-efficiency upgrades, the expansion of photovoltaic systems and the climate-adapted design of outdoor spaces

We design our outdoor spaces to include greenery, shaded areas and permeable surfaces. Where we carry out infill development, we make use of existing land rather than designating new areas.

We promote alternatives to private cars, for example through car-sharing schemes and existing cycle and public transport links.

46 per cent of our vehicle fleet is electric, supplemented by e-bikes for short journeys. We source the electricity we need through our energy supply. Solar panels at our work sites contribute to our electricity supply.

In our in-house operations, our tradespeople use tablets and apps; route planning helps to coordinate journeys more efficiently. Internal processes are increasingly being handled digitally.

Transparency out of conviction

For us, sustainability means making responsibility visible. That is why, in December 2025, we published our first sustainability report in accordance with the German Sustainability Code (DNK) – on a voluntary basis and with the aim of being measured against our own targets.

Our report is available in the official DNK database. We are reviewing our voluntary reporting in accordance with VSME/VME and will provide information on the next report as soon as its scope and timetable have been finalised.

Social responsibility

We don’t just create housing – we create living spaces. Our mission is to provide affordable, safe and stable housing for all sections of the population.

This includes:

socially balanced letting,
accessible and age-appropriate housing,
support for people in particular life circumstances,
advice from our neighbourhood and service team.

We always take affordable housing into
account For new builds and refurbishments, we voluntarily and deliberately make targeted use of public funding, including through the NBank and, already, through financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

In this way, we ensure that housing in Wolfsburg remains accessible to everyone, both today and tomorrow.

A community emerges wherever people live together. We actively promote:

neighbourhood meetings and community spaces,
leisure and educational activities for families,
regional partnerships, e.g. with social organisations, foundations and educational institutions.

Our aim: vibrant, stable and diverse neighbourhoods where people feel at home.

As a local authority-owned company, our responsibilities extend beyond our housing stock.

This includes:

financial support for social and cultural projects,
the work of the NEULAND Foundation,
partnerships to promote integration, education, employment and social inclusion,
infrastructure provision such as youth centres, advice centres or the letting of commercial premises to social organisations.

We invest in people, not just in buildings.

Through the NEULAND Foundation in Wolfsburg, we are committed to helping where support, a sense of community and participation are most needed. Since 2013, the foundation has been strengthening social cohesion in the city’s neighbourhoods and creating opportunities for people of all ages — from children and young people to older people.

The foundation has a clear aim:
to improve people’s living situations, tackle loneliness, strengthen community spirit and enable social participation.

In particular, it promotes:

dialogue between young and old,
social participation of socially disadvantaged people,
integration and tolerance,
community engagement in Wolfsburg’s neighbourhoods.

Key projects of the NEULAND Foundation

Herz+Ohr – combating loneliness in old age
The project brings older people living in isolation together with dedicated volunteers. Through regular conversations and visits, valuable relationships are formed that reduce isolation and bring joy to life.
wohnsionär – youth projects with an
impact ‘wohnsionär’ is the Foundation’s youth brand. It supports young people in taking on social responsibility, playing an active role and contributing their ideas for community life in Wolfsburg.
Neighbourhood projects – closeness, dialogue, togetherness
Alongside its major programmes, the foundation supports many small but effective projects in Wolfsburg’s neighbourhoods — ranging from integration initiatives and inclusion projects to leisure, social and educational activities.

Why the foundation is important

The NEULAND Foundation Wolfsburg is at the heart of our social sustainability. It fosters connections, builds bridges between generations and different sections of the population, and ensures that people in Wolfsburg do not just live here – but feel they belong.
The Foundation’s work is carried out by full-time staff, numerous volunteers and with the support of the NEULAND Housing Association.

Social sustainability begins within our own organisation. We are committed to:

secure jobs,
fair pay in line with collective agreements,
employee participation through the works council and other committees,
health and safety at work,
a healthy work-life balance, recognised by the FaMi seal (2025–2027) for companies in north-east Lower Saxony
continuous training and professional development, recognised as a TOP Trainer by the Lüneburg-Wolfsburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce (2026–2029)

Responsible corporate governance

Economic stability is the foundation of our sustainable work. Only a financially sound company can offer affordable housing in the long term, carry out modernisation projects and drive forward climate protection. That is why we combine action in the public interest with clear corporate governance.

Our corporate governance ensures that we operate in an economically sound, compliant and forward-looking manner – reliably serving our tenants and the city of Wolfsburg.

How we ensure economic sustainability

Integrated risk and opportunity management

systematic assessment of financial, regulatory, technical and ESG risks
Regular reports to the management, the supervisory board and shareholders
Forward-looking planning for investments and modernisation

Etabliertes Compliance Management

clear guidelines for procurement processes, data protection and IT security
Compulsory annual training for staff
External compliance officers and an ombudsman service in accordance with the Whistleblower Protection Act

Clear rules & processes

Functional separation in sensitive areas (e.g. procurement, purchasing, accounting)
documented decision-making processes and internal control mechanisms
Regular internal and external audits

Corporate strategy with a long-term focus

Economically viable new-build and modernisation programmes
Focus on value retention and efficient management
We use climate pathways as a planning tool for our building portfolio and use them to assess measures for energy-efficient modernisation, improving efficiency and heat supply. We report on relevant key performance indicators in our sustainability reporting
Planning certainty through sound financial and liquidity management

Transparent management & clear responsibilities

Sustainability embedded in management accounting
Overall responsibility lies with the management
Close cooperation between all departments to ensure reliable implementation

Our claim: Stable, compliant and committed to the city

As a local housing organisation, we operate in the public interest – but also with an entrepreneurial approach. This balance between social responsibility and financial stability is the foundation that enables us to:

secure affordable housing in the long term
finance energy efficiency upgrades and climate protection measures
develop sustainable neighbourhoods
strengthen trust within the urban community

For us, governance is not merely a set of rules. Governance creates binding structures for corporate management, compliance and oversight.