The long-standing relationship between the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen and the South African City of Durban has its origins in the anti-apartheid movement of the late 1970s, which Bremen supported both financially and in the form of educational projects. To this day, the sister-city partnership is primarily characterized by the issue of education with a particular focus on environmental education. In order to reach the climate protection goals, the two port cities each benefit from
the expertise of the other and jointly pursue projects that promote the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity. Projects such as the "Inanda lifespan wilderness park", modelled on the Bremen “Children's wilderness”, are also intended to protect biodiversity on land. In addition to the issue of nature conservation, the main focus lies on sensitizing the local youth to environmental issues.
On 14 November 2018, the jury of the German Sustainability Award will select the top 3 entries and the winner.