POLITICS MUST GET INTO ACTION - THE ECONOMY IS READY FOR SUSTAINABILITY!

Those who start the transformation process towards sustainability now will create real opportunities for themselves on the market. All experts from business and science agreed on this at the top-class livestream event "Sustainability - between ecological, social and economic responsibility" organized by Sparkasse Hannover and hannoverimpuls. However, there is still a lack of sufficient political control and sustainability is hardly included in corporate key figures. The baggage for the new government is huge.

The transformation towards sustainability is both a complex challenge and an opportunity for all companies, which has gained momentum not least due to pressure from young people and numerous climate disasters in the recent past. Climate researcher Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Fischedick, Scientific Director of the Wuppertal Institute, made this clear in his keynote speech. The political objectives of the German Climate Protection Act or the EU's Green Deal and existing problems in the supply chains are further increasing the pressure to act. Companies now need the courage to open up new business areas - and cross-industry cooperation. Holcim Deutschland GmbH, one of the largest players in the cement industry with 126 locations, is one of the largest CO2 emitters in the economy and is already working across sectors to turn its carbon dioxide into a new raw material for other companies. In the Westküste100.de pilot project, the Group is processing its CO2 and refining it into green methanol, which can be reused in the shipping industry, for example. "Research and investments consume millions before we earn the first euro from it after eight to ten years," explains Arne Stecher, Head of Decarbonization at Holzim. The problem is that all restructuring measures, from employee training to research services, cannot currently be reflected in the accounts and are only expenses according to the accounting system.

Tax consultant Dr. Janine von Wolfersdorff (Fellow at The New Institute, Advisory Board Member of the international financial network OMFIF) calls for sustainability to finally be incorporated into accounting and tax policy: "Behaviour at the expense of others must no longer pay off in the future and must also be reflected in the key figures".

WERKHAUS Design + Produktion GmbH, which employs 160 people, demonstrates that holistic thinking and action are the key to success. The company has lived sustainability since its foundation and recently opened a bicycle accommodation village on the Elbe, for example. Social sustainability has also been on the agenda from the very beginning. The company employs people from seven nations, people with disabilities and refugees. Managing Director Eva Danneberg is convinced of the sustainable path, but she would also like to see more incentives for SMEs. Those who set out on the path to sustainability need more support, she says. Climate researcher Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Fischedick is calling above all for politicians to show the will to implement measures and not just stop at formulating targets. The economy needs a reliable framework for action, a so-called "enabling culture". "The technology is there, the willingness of the industry is there, the capital is there - the only thing missing is the rules!", is how Arne Stecher puts it.

A recently published study by McKinsey proves that the transformation is definitely manageable: according to McKinsey, around six trillion euros of investment is needed in Germany to achieve the climate transition - but if this is implemented intelligently, then it is also economically viable, the experts calculate.

One of the two hosts of the livestream event, Marina Barth, Deputy CEO of Sparkasse Hannover, also believes that Sparkasse Hannover has a duty: "We are on the path ourselves and ready to support companies in their transformation!" Host Doris Petersen, Managing Director of hannoverimpuls, is also optimistic about the future of Hannover as a business location: "The examples show that the economy is ready for transformation. Perhaps the phone will ring tomorrow at the business development agency. We are also ready and happy to support companies in the transition to sustainability." Because one thing is clear to everyone: the markets of the future are sustainable - and the race is on to see which companies will come out on top in the future.

The event was moderated by Conrad von Meding, editor for business and trade, urban development and architecture at the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung.

Photo (hannoverimpuls): Conrad von Meding, Marina Barth, Doris Petersen, Eva Danneberg, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Fischedick, Arne Stecher (from left)

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