LOCC-GER: A Georeferenced Local Climate Policy Database for Germany

Preliminary version 1.0 (2026) For first review stage.

LOCC-GER provides georeferenced data on local climate policy in Germany. The repository combines local climate policy measures, climate emergency motions, synthetic public opinion data, and scripts for linking policy data to survey and Earth observation data. For a full documentation, please consult DOCUMENTATION.docx.

---

---

Datasets

Local climate policy data for Germany

File: ./data/local_policy/NKI_full_list_21022024.xlsx

Creation script: ./scripts/local_policy_sf.R

This dataset contains 26,142 climate policy measures from 5,033 municipalities between 2008 and 2023. It is based on projects funded through the German federal funding scheme National Climate Initiative (NKI).

Variables

Variable	Description
FKZ	Project ID
Ressort	Responsible ministry
Referat	Unit
PT	Cooperating actor of the funding body
Arb.-Einh.	Policy field
Zuwendungsempfänger	Funding recipient
Gemeindekennziffer	Municipality code
Stadt/Gemeinde	Municipality name
Ort	Project location
Bundesland	Federal state
Staat	Country
Ausführende Stelle	Implementing entity
Thema	Policy field
Leistungsplansystematik	Policy field code
Klartext Leistungsplansystematik	Description of policy field code
Laufzeit von	Start date
Laufzeit bis	End date
Fördersumme in EUR	Funding sum in EUR
Förderprofil	Overarching topic
Verbundprojekt	Collaborative municipal project
Förderart	Type of funding

---

Climate emergency motions in local councils

File: ./data/climate_emergency/climate_emergency.xlsx

This dataset records climate emergency motions submitted to German local councils. Motions were identified through desk research conducted from June to August 2024 and cross-checked against activist sources, observer records, and municipal press releases.

The dataset includes whether a motion was submitted, whether it was approved, and the date of formal consideration.

Variables

Variable	Description
ags	Municipality code
municipality_name	Municipality name
ce_jurisdiction	Jurisdiction receiving the motion
ce_level	Administrative level of the jurisdiction
date	Date of formal consideration
submission	Whether a motion was submitted
approved	Whether the motion was approved
notes	Additional coder notes

---

Synthetic public opinion data

Files: ./data/gesis_panel/gp_synth.rds ./data/gesis_panel/gp_synth.csv

Creation script: ./scripts/create_gp_synth.R

This dataset contains synthetic spatial point data derived from the GESIS Panel using the R package geosynth. Each observation represents an INSPIRE-compliant 1 km² grid centroid.

The data are fully synthetic and do not contain observed respondent locations. INSPIRE grid identifiers and AGS codes refer to synthetic spatial reference units and must not be interpreted as residential information. No individual-level survey attributes are included.

The dataset is provided in two equivalent formats:

1. .rds: R spatial object format, stored as an sf object
2. .csv: Tabular format with explicit x and y coordinates

Variables and formats

Variable	Type	RDS format	CSV format	Description
id	integer	attribute column	column	Sequential observation ID
date	character / Date	attribute column	column	Constant temporal reference
ags	character	attribute column	column	Official German municipality code
inspid1km	character	attribute column	column	INSPIRE 1 km² grid cell ID
geometry	POINT geometry	sf geometry column	—	Synthetic centroid geometry
x	numeric	derived from geometry	column	Easting coordinate
y	numeric	derived from geometry	column	Northing coordinate

Data provenance

Property	Value
Coordinate reference system	ETRS89 / LAEA Europe
EPSG code	3035
Unit	meters
Spatial reference	INSPIRE 1 km² grid centroids with AGS identifiers
Geometry derivation	Synthetic reconstruction via geosynth
Temporal structure	Static; one date applied to all observations
Interpretation	Fully synthetic; no direct respondent geolocation

---

Scripts

Public opinion data linking

Main scripts: ./scripts/create_gp_synth.R ./scripts/gesis_panel_linking.R ./scripts/geosynth/create_sample_frame.R ./scripts/geosynth/draw_sample.R ./scripts/geosynth/shuffle_min_distance.R ./scripts/gxc_link_dwd/gxc_link_dwd.R ./scripts/gxc_link_dwd/link_dwd_modules.R

These scripts support linking LOCC-GER to georeferenced survey programs such as the German Longitudinal Election Study Panel and the GESIS Panel. Because original georeferenced survey data are sensitive and only accessible in secure GESIS environments, this repository provides synthetic spatial data for testing and prototyping.

The synthetic data workflow mirrors the spatial structure of the original data while protecting respondent confidentiality. It allows users to test linking routines without accessing restricted coordinates.

Synthetic data workflow

1. Construct sample frame geosynth::create_sample_frame() creates eligible municipality-level sampling frames using AGS identifiers, population thresholds, and RegioStaR classifications.

2. Draw population-weighted sample geosynth::draw_sample() samples INSPIRE 1 km² grid centroids from eligible municipalities, weighted by population density.

3. Apply minimum-distance shuffling geosynth::shuffle_min_distance() can be used inside secure environments to ensure synthetic points are at least a predefined distance from original coordinates.

The workflow was implemented using the R package geosynth, developed for this project.

---

Earth observation data linking

Scripts: ./scripts/EO_linking/EO_linking.R ./scripts/EO_linking/p_validate_DWD.py ./scripts/EO_linking/p00_download_stationdata_dwd.py ./scripts/EO_linking/p01_impute_stationdata.py ./scripts/EO_linking/p02_aggregate_invdist_stationdata.py

These scripts support the linkage of LOCC-GER to atmospheric and climate data. Integrated sources include the German Weather Service (DWD), Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), and Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).

The repository includes a sample workflow for monthly weather indicators such as temperature, precipitation, and wind based on DWD data. The scripts are designed to support flexible choices of indicators, spatial coverage, temporal coverage, and resolution.

---

Notes

• Synthetic public opinion data are for methodological development and workflow testing only.
• Synthetic coordinates do not represent observed respondent locations.
• All working-directory references are relative to the repository root.