Green card after successful recertification for UNESCO Global Geopark Swabian Alb

The UNESCO Global Geopark Swabian Alb has once again been successfully recertified and can carry the prestigious UNESCO label for another four years. In July 2024, UNESCO experts reviewed the geopark in depth. They not only visited the office, but also various geopoints, information centres and geopark schools throughout the region. Now it is clear: the Swabian Alb has earned its UNESCO Global Geopark designation and has been awarded the so-called ‘Green Card’.

This means that the Swabian Jura Geopark continues to belong to an exclusive group of only 213 geoparks worldwide that are authorised to bear the UNESCO label. The Swabian Jura has outstanding geological and scenic features, which the UNESCO Geopark values as a model region for sustainable development. Every four years, the Swabian Jura Geopark is assessed to see whether it is continuously developing in accordance with the strict criteria of the UNESCO Global Geopark Programme. The award is a significant success for the region and proof of the continuous work to preserve the natural heritage. At this year's EGN Conference in Iceland, Dr Gösta Hoffmann from the German UNESCO Commission praised the good and innovative work of the German Geoparks and emphasised their international recognition.

The decision to award the ‘Green Card’ is made by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council. Two other German UNESCO Geoparks, Bergstrasse-Odenwald and Thuringia Inselsberg - Drei Gleichen, have also been successfully recertified in 2024. This confirmation emphasises the importance of the Swabian Jura not only at national but also at international level.