We want to play our part in respecting planetary boundaries: this includes limiting global warming, preventing pollution and conserving natural resources. This is what guides our project work and our operations.
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The environmental dimension of sustainability
For us, environmental sustainability means working to protect the climate for current and future generations. We act responsibly with clear principles and measurable goals – for the environment, climate and resources.
Environmental management at GIZ
We work to prevent pollution systematically and use scarce resources such as energy and water economically. Protecting biodiversity and promoting material cycles is therefore just as important as complying with statutory regulations.
GIZ’s Environmental Mission Statement
Sustainable development means responsible use of the environment and natural resources. This is the only way to safeguard development opportunities for future generations. GIZ has drawn up its own Environmental Mission Statement, which sets out the following responsibilities:
- To systematically avoid or reduce the company’s environmental impacts
- To make sparing use of scarce resources such as energy and water and increase the use of eco-efficient technologies and materials
- To implement our strategy of becoming a carbon-neutral company
- To plan and carry out all projects and programmes with minimum environmental impact
- To engage in participatory environmental communication with our staff and raise their awareness of environmental issues
- To continue to develop our Environmental Mission Statement through open dialogue with fellow professionals within the company and elsewhere
- To inform our partner companies, service providers and suppliers about the mandatory nature of our Environmental Mission Statement.
GIZ also undertakes to steadily improve its environmental performance and comply with all applicable environmental regulations at locations covered by the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).
Systematic environmental management
EMAS: an environmental performance benchmark
In Germany, we use the ambitious European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). We thus improve our environmental performance measurably each year and publish the results in an environmental statement
Corporate Sustainability Handprint
Outside Germany, our teams work with GIZ’s own Corporate Sustainability Handprint (CSH) , a management tool that systematically records environmental performance. We make a distinction between:
- Footprint: records energy and water consumption, etc.
- Handprint: shows active contributions to sustainability – e.g. solar panels, car pooling, fair procurement
In this way, we promote sustainable site development worldwide.
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Climate management: ambitious and transparent
We support our partners in our countries of assignment with climate action – and, at the same time, work to improve our own climate performance.
Our basic principle is:
Avoid, then reduce, then offset.
Since 2021, we have been working to the standards of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). We set ourselves ambitious emissions reduction targets up to 2025. And we are looking to build on this with short-term targets up to 2030 and long-term targets up to 2050.
SBTi targets – our commitments up to 2025
Scopes 1 and 2: We will reduce our direct and indirect emissions by 30 per cent compared to 2019.
Scope 3: We will reduce our indirect emissions (from business travel, procurement, etc.) by 10 per cent compared to 2019.
Information about our previous SBTi targets up to 2025 and our target achievement status can be found in the Integrated Company Report. We publish our climate and environmental data on an annual basis and update it retroactively, as required.
Offsetting emissions
Any emissions we cannot avoid or reduce are offset. This involves purchasing certificates from the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism, the gold standard for offsetting. Our projects meet stringent environmental and social criteria and are already aligned with the new market mechanism of the Paris Agreement.
SBTi targets – our commitments up to 2025
- Offsetting in Germany: since 2013
- Offsetting abroad: since 2020
Offsetting of all Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and selected Scope 3 emissions
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Insights
The project contributes to these Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations: