Without local thinking and action, sustainability often remains a theory. Regions, communities and consumers are important players in the quest to preserve the foundations of life. This essence of the first sustainability symposium in Gelnhausen in March is now visible: video recordings of the expert statements on the question “How do I recognize sustainable products and companies?” have been online for a few days.
In his introduction, Professor Dr. Hermann von Lilienfeld-Toal, an internist, will shed light on the connections between sustainability and physical well-being from a medical perspective. District Administrator Thorsten Stolz and Mayor Daniel Christian Glöckner explain why sustainability has always played a central role in cities and regions and what new challenges await districts and municipalities. As President of the Ecoropa network, Christine von Weizsäcker describes how “sustainability influences our lives” with a look at the causes of poverty and environmental degradation. She shows the importance of small farmers worldwide for regional supply, how the “Sustainable Development Goals” are linked to issues such as poverty and hunger and why sustainability cannot be implemented “from the top down”, but requires more self-confidence and own strategies. “True prices for fair markets” is Dr. Katharina Reuter’s postulate, which she primarily addresses to politicians. Targeted taxation, bans and laws could set a very effective course to avoid price distortions. The Managing Director of the UnternehmensGrün association names initiatives and solutions that require a new perspective on the economy. Sophie von Lilienfeld-Toal, Managing Director of the Society for Applied Business Ethics (GfaW), which specializes in sustainability standards, differentiates between the “sense and nonsense of labels”. She is aware of the important role of labels in the producer-consumer relationship and shows what possibilities, but also what limits, quality certificates have and how the most common labels are to be classified in the context of sustainability. The article also explains what certification is and how and where consumers can find out about the many labels. Thomas Köbberling contributes to the much-discussed topic of “nutrition and packaging”. In addition to approaches to waste avoidance, the university lecturer uses two current initiatives to show how citizens can participate in a change towards sustainability: So-called food councils or the Bürger- or Regionalwert AG specifically support farmers and other economic sectors in the local area. The recordings are currently available on YouTube or on the website of the Society for Applied Business Ethics. UnternehmensGrün and GfaW, the organizers of the symposium, are now motivated to think about continuing the symposium.
