Berlin, 5 April 2023 - The war in Ukraine has led many German companies to focus more intensively on ecological sustainability and renewable energy supply. For just over one in three companies in Germany, the war has prompted them to initiate or strengthen measures for greater sustainability (34 percent). And almost one in four companies say they are focusing more on renewable energies as a result of the war (24 percent). This is the result of a representative Ipsos survey commissioned by the TÜV Association among 504 companies with 25 or more employees. "In addition to the climate crisis and the covid pandemic, the Ukraine war and its consequences are further increasing the economic pressure," says Juliane Petrich, Policy and Sustainability Officer at the TÜV Association. "Disrupted supply chains, skyrocketing energy prices and changing customer demands are forcing companies to focus on environmental and climate protection in their business operations." Especially when it comes to energy use, other factors such as security of supply and environmental compatibility are playing an increasingly important role in addition to the price.
If one asks those responsible about the most important reasons for investing in sustainable management, the reduction of operating costs is at the top of the list (46 percent). In second place is compliance with legal requirements (43 per cent). This is followed by a better image (42 percent), stronger employee loyalty (37 percent) and changing customer requirements (37 percent). "Sustainability is not an end in itself for companies. Investments in environmental and climate protection must also pay off economically," says Petrich. "The sustainable transformation of Germany and Europe does not only contribute to climate protection and climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest, but also makes the German economy more independent and resilient." This awareness is becoming more and more prevalent, she said. "At the same time, the legislator must continue to ensure that climate and environmental protection is driven forward with appropriate legislative requirements," says Petrich. This ensures planning security and a level playing field. EU initiatives such as the new Ecodesign Regulation, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive or the recast of the Energy Efficiency Directive must be quickly adopted and implemented.
In addition to setting ambitious requirements, the TÜV Association believes their verification and enforcement is at least as important. "Independent assessments ensure that companies comply with the legal requirements," says Petrich. The managers surveyed also see it that way. Almost three out of four are in favour of external assessments that can be used to monitor companies' compliance with legal requirements for environmental and climate protection (72 per cent). Assessment organisations such as TÜV thus make an important contribution to a sustainable transformation.
