A complete success – our Sustainability Workshop 2023

The time had finally come: our first sustainability workshop brought together future-oriented companies and other interested parties on June 27 and 28. Thanks to our many speakers, we were able to inspire the participants with a wealth of cutting-edge topics and a constant change of perspective on our own organizational management. Together, we worked on the criteria for our standards and talked about topics such as sustainable performance accounting, deforestation-free supply chains, sustainable digitalization, climate neutrality, offsetting and negative emissions technologies. Christiane Mülder – “The good in the bad” With Christiane Mülder, an experienced systemic consultant, coach and organizational developer, we immersed ourselves in an insightful lecture at the beginning of the event, which was followed by a captivating mini-workshop after a sumptuous dinner. In times of seemingly irreconcilable positions such as sustainability and inflation, she used lively stories to illustrate how the systemic mindset can be used to recognize and consciously break through obstructive automatisms in the company, but also in private life. The participants were downright fascinated by Christiane’s approaches and were able to develop completely new ideas on how to skillfully tackle their previously seemingly unsolvable challenges thanks to her methods and the lively exchange with each other. The first day of the event came to an end at the nearby InterCity Hotel, providing the perfect opportunity to build on the familiar atmosphere created beforehand and get to know each other even better. True costs and true services The absence of a speaker did put our spontaneity and flexibility to the test somewhat, but we quickly found a solution that everyone could come to terms with: Our Managing Director Sophie von Lilienfeld-Toal took on the topic of “Sustainable Performance Accounting” herself without further ado so as not to deprive the participants of this exciting accounting method. She briefly and concisely outlined the most important differences to traditional accounting and explained the advantages this approach can offer companies. An approach that takes into account the true costs and performance, in particular the commitment to sustainability, and can therefore have a positive impact on the annual result. There was an atmosphere of curiosity, but a certain amount of skepticism also filled the room and it was palpable that a deeper examination of this topic is needed to fully assess the purpose of this method. More than just green IT: What it means to combine digitalization with sustainability and ethics In a presentation by Damian Paderta – self-employed web geographer & digital consultant – the participants were confronted with completely new perspectives on the topic of digitalization and IT. Using abstract images and impressive, creative examples, he illustrated the complexity of this topic, drew a line from the origins of the ambivalent attitude towards new technologies that has always prevailed to the way we deal with them today and appealed for a healthy balance between “technophobia” and “Silicon Valley fantasies”. Although he considers digitalization to be an essential element in overcoming the economic and ecological challenges of the present and future, he firmly emphasized that this must not happen at the cost of ethics and sustainability. Ambivalent feelings also on the topic of deforestation-free supply chains The next contribution also gave the participants food for thought and caused mixed feelings: awe in the face of the enormous task that the new EU regulation entails on the one hand, but also the desire to remain true to one’s sustainability efforts and ensure that one’s own company does not contribute to deforestation on the other. Isabell Rzepecki, who has been part of the GfaW for a long time and is now writing her master’s thesis on deforestation-free supply chains at Vaude, provided information on the content of the relevant EU regulation. She also presented useful tools and strategies that companies can use to trace their supply chains more easily and assess the associated risk of deforestation. She gave the participants valuable advice on what measures they can take despite limited resources. However, the presentation was not just about objectivity. A passionate discussion arose about the role of certifications and standards and the question of how compliance with the regulation should be monitored in future. Climate neutrality and negative emission technologies The eagerly awaited final presentation of the event was given by Dr. Saskia Kühnhold-Pospischil from the renowned Fraunhofer Institute. Participants were given a broader understanding of the diverse methods of carbon sinks and the most effective approaches to CO₂ removal. Dr. Kühnhold-Pospischil impressively conveyed the importance of negative emission technologies and made it clear that these can not only contribute, but according to current calculations must even contribute, in order to still achieve the Paris climate targets. She impressed the audience with her extensive knowledge and initiated an exciting discussion on the use of activated carbon and biomass as CO₂ sinks. The enormous potential of these approaches was recognized by the panel, but also critically questioned. Dr. Kühnhold-Pospischil’s presentation inspired the participants to think intensively about the possibilities and limits of negative emission technologies for their own company. The lively discussion highlighted the interest and willingness of those present to explore new avenues and find solutions for their own approach. Joint development of an action plan: Companies provide impetus for future activities The successful conclusion to the event was introduced by Sophie von Lilienfeld-Toal, who presented proposals on the new criteria in the Market & Ethics area and on the topic of packaging on behalf of GfaW. But that was not all – in the concluding discussion rounds and group work, moderated by our dedicated GfaW team and Corinna Dröge, the participating companies also had the opportunity to express their perspectives, ideas and wishes on each of the technical papers presented. In addition, expectations and needs for future support from the GfaW also found a place here. The results of this intensive collaboration were finally pooled and now form a comprehensive action plan that needs to be implemented by everyone involved. The event therefore ended not only with informative presentations and discussions, but also with a concrete agenda for future activities. Enthusiasm for next year already palpable And although the event, with its packed program, certainly had the potential to overflow the barrel, the participants seemed almost tireless – certainly not least because of the lively breaks led by Morena Merkelbach (GfaW), but above all thanks to the ingenious, tried and tested moderation techniques of Corinna Dröge, who successfully led the GfaW working groups through the day at their annual meeting last year. This year, too, we were delighted with the outcome of our event, the end of which was even accompanied by a slight sense of melancholy. Full of anticipation for next year, with newfound courage for their everyday challenges and a colorful bouquet of fresh ideas, both we and the participants parted in the afternoon. In great hope of seeing each other again next year, perhaps in an even larger group. So if you would like to be part of the next sustainability workshop, please get in touch now at info@gfaw.eu. You can also find the latest developments, future events and exciting content on the topic of sustainable business on GfaW’s social media channels. Feel free to take a look! Instagram: @angewandte_wirtschaftsethik and @nachhaltigkeitswerkstatt_gfaw Facebook: www.facebook.com/GfaWNachhaltigkeit LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/gesellschaft-für-angewandte-wirtschaftsethik/

further contributions

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