Planted Magazine

In a world increasingly characterized by extreme weather events, sustainability is one of the most important issues for companies. In addition to ethical responsibility, political guidelines such as the CSRD or the ESG criteria are pushing for corporate climate protection. The good news: Those who act holistically and honestly secure a clear competitive advantage.

At a time when companies worldwide are recognizing the importance of sustainability and climate protection strategies, the new CSR Directive (CSRD) is more than just a sustainability reporting tool. The implementation of the regulation becomes a decisive competitive advantage and leads to corporate success. The CFO is at the center of implementation.

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EU emissions trading is currently in a decisive phase. In the future, significantly fewer emission rights will be issued and there could be a foreseeable shortage of certificates. The reason for this is that the target reduction has been increased from 43 percent to 62 percent ¹. As a result, companies will have to expect significantly higher prices if they do not switch to more sustainable business models.

A few weeks ago, the first major law on the protection and restoration of biodiversity was passed in the European Parliament. Biodiversity - an issue without which Europe's climate targets would be unthinkable to meet, which, contrary to many claims, also strengthens the economy and which every company can actively support.

Reducing CO₂ emissions is not only an ethical concern, but also the most effective way for companies to make their contribution to climate protection. We provide you with the five most efficient tips that companies can use to reduce their CO₂ footprint and take a holistic approach to climate protection.

ISO standards, GHG protcol, EMAS or the new CSRD: Sustainability guidelines and recording options abound. Their goal: to provide companies with clear guidelines and structures through which they can achieve their sustainability goals and improve performance. 

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The use of "climate neutral" has often led to accusations in recent months and the EU is also planning to ban the term with the Green Claims Directive. With Planted, we rely on the term "climate-active".

Getting started on a sustainability commitment can be a challenge for many companies. However, the CO₂ balance sheet offers a concrete and important entry point to quantify a company's emissions and benefit from further advantages.

Climate change, at the latest, is making the issue of sustainability one of the most important topics of our time, which is also prompting business to take action. One of the biggest hurdles: the fear of greenwashing.

Unavoidable emissions can be offset via certified climate protection projects. The standard of the projects is important here. In 2022, we visited a climate protection project in Vietnam with Planted to get an idea of the situation on site and to talk to those responsible.

The forest is one of our most important climate protectors here in Germany. Every year, it relieves the atmosphere of around 62 million tons of carbon dioxide ². But the new forest status report shows: Forests are in worse shape than ever before. And the current IPCC report also makes it clear: It is urgently time to act, even away from the forest!

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Since 2020, we have been planting trees locally with Planted to promote the mixed forest of the future. In this interview with climate forester Jan, we talk about the process of planting, the selection of tree species, and the collaboration with partner nurseries and forestry offices.

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Climate change does not stop at any place on this earth. In recent years, we in Germany have also seen what we could be facing here. To achieve global climate protection goals, all countries must cooperate fairly and on their own responsibility. 

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Making climate protection as simple and accessible as possible for everyone: That's our mission with Planted, which we continued to shape and drive in 2022. Now the year is over and it's time to look back. 

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Since the Russian war of aggression, Europe's energy supply has been in crisis. In recent years, we have become too dependent on Russian oil and gas, and we in Germany in particular have purchased large quantities from Russia. But also worldwide the energy supply is facing the challenge to rethink. Parallel to the war, we are in the middle of the climate crisis, which has long called for a change in energy supply.

The COP27 world climate conference started in Sharm el-Sheikh at the beginning of November. The abbreviation COP27 stands for "Conference of the Parties" - i.e. those countries that have signed the so-called Framework Convention on Climate Change. In the popular Egyptian seaside resort, representatives from around 200 countries are discussing how to combat global warming in the future. Experts expect the 27th UN Climate Change Conference to focus on new issues, such as how to deal with unavoidable damage caused by climate change and how to finance it. (1)

Do you know the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? In July 2015, 193 UN member states adopted the draft of an important agreement that involves the whole world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Nowadays, up to four different generations can work in one company: Baby Boomers, Generation X,Y and now Generation Z are also entering the labour market. Work-life balance, digitalisation and the desire for flexible working time models: each generation has its own demands and requirements of employers. But what do the employees of tomorrow care about? And what distinguishes them from their predecessor generations?

The topic of sustainability in business has visibly changed in recent years. From "nice to have", a large part of the economy has now arrived at "must have". The EU's planned directive on corporate sustainability reporting (CSRD) will further intensify this development.

The fight against climate change is lagging behind all over the world. Policymakers are reluctant to act and meeting the Paris climate targets is not yet tangible. Hope for the preservation of a livable planet is promised by private individuals and companies, which can be one of the most important levers in the fight against the climate crisis.

More than 30,000 trees planted, 15,000 tonnes of CO₂ offset. Wow, what a start. On 27 March, we officially launched Planted and began our journey. Time to look back at the end of the year and see what we have achieved together in 2021.

Elm, alder, ash or oak: Tree species that shape our native landscape. But trees not only contribute to a beautiful view - they regulate our climate. They extract CO₂ from the atmosphere and bind it long-term in their biomass and in the soil.

Whether it's a business trip, backpacking or a holiday, travel always comes at the expense of the climate. According to a study by the German Federal Environment Agency, tourism causes around five to eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Even though research is being conducted into new technologies and alternatives to climate-damaging paraffin, there is no improvement in sight in the near future.

Have you ever watched the trees die? I felt that way in the summer of 2018. Every day I saw the forest on my way to work - pure monocultures that suffered from the weeks of heat. A few months later, the forest had died.

Each of us emits carbon dioxide (CO₂) every year. Just by breathing, this happens - oops! First of all, it's not good or bad, it's in our nature. Besides, CO₂ is an important component of the atmosphere. Only if we all emit too much CO₂ at once does it become negative (climate negative).

Storms, droughts and the bark beetle as a result of climate change have taken their toll on the German forest in recent years. Huge areas have died or gone bare. 277,000 hectares could be reforested in Germany alone - an area larger than the Saarland. In this interview with our organization's own forester Jan, we talk about our forests, reforestation and Planted's mission.

Sunbathing, nude bathing, forest bathing. You are totally stressed and want to pull out trees again? Since the 80s, so-called forest therapy has been a recognised healing method. It comes from Japan, where it is known as "Shinrin-yoku".

Sustainability was not always our thing. Apart from Jan, our climate forester and trained forest scientist. The rest of us come from different sectors. A motley bunch - planted together. Born out of two or three glasses of Kölsch.

The calculation of the CO₂ balance sheet is becoming increasingly important for companies due to regulatory obligations and public pressure. But how exactly does the calculation work and how can it be ensured that all the necessary data is recorded correctly? What at first glance appears to be a major challenge for many companies can be implemented easily and without expert knowledge.