I trust your new year has started well. In Southern Hessen, unusually warm weather is reshaping our climate, making a white Christmas a rarity. Meanwhile, parts of Germany grapple with winter flooding amid continuous rain. On a positive note, groundwater reservoirs are replenishing after years of drought, emphasizing the need to escalate climate mitigation efforts and adapt to climate change.
Exciting news: My hometown, Egelsbach, has now a local climate action plan that I put together. Local involvement inspires me, and while the initial steps have been taken, success hinges on implementation. Will it succeed? I certainly hope so.
This process revealed challenges for small municipalities: limited resources make climate measures and funding applications difficult. However, proximity and a positive work environment facilitate swift integration across departments. Yet, private action from households and local companies is indispensable.
Companies face challenges too. Rising costs from extreme weather events demand climate mitigation and adaptation in sustainability reporting (CSRD). Many companies are uncertain about their actual risks and opportunities. However, not only large but also small companies must take a stand as part of the supply chain.
Consider retail: our HDE-adapt project addresses this. Join our free webinar series on 7 February 2024 - "Heat, Heavy Rain, Flooding: How can retailers protect themselves from climate change?" I'm eager to see our collective impact.
Exciting tasks await in 2024. Stay tuned for updates!
