forward-looking thinking and actions

forward-looking thinking and actions

DR. Iris Pufé is a sustainability expert and supports business enterprises, NGOs, and Beauthorities in the development of sustainability and CSR strategies and their conversionto ng. A conversation about how sustainability is concretely implemented.

 

 

// Student food: All the talk is currently of sustainability. But what is the principle of sustainability?

// Pufé: The word itself says it all – that something is sustainable, permanent, stock and long-term effect. People all over the world, now and in the future, should have the same opportunities, to live, to survive and to shape their world. This requires a Form of doing business that takes into account the prevailing purely economic profit-making intentions also the protection of the environment and human rights. In other words, sustainability, environmental and socially responsible Thinking, Acting and business management. It is not a means to achieve gains in environmental and social projects, but gains the environment and to generate in a socially responsible manner. Anyone who destroys the environment will behave in the long term is antisocial, because it destroys the natural foundations of life.

 

// Student food: Why you are dealing with the issue of sustainability?

// Pufé: for me There is no more important topic. Everything else is secondary. Without a permanent global equitable distribution of resources, we can save us all. Without resources, no economies, no economies, no prosperity, without prosperity, no intact society.

 

// Student food: How can we in everyday life to start a sustainable life?

// Pufé: especially at the start. Save electricity, save water, conscious consume, eat less meat, hardly any air travel, doing voluntary work, less living space, take more public TRANSPORT use, car sharing instead of own car, cycle, walk and closeness to nature maintain.

It is best to first calculate their own ecological footprint. It’s quick, easy and gives you a clear picture of where one lives on big feet and where you can begin to reduce it: Living, Heating, energy, mobility, nutrition. A CO2-calculator a the own climate balance, and traceable. Where the biggest emissions occur, as is to be used for each of the levers. For me it was travel, for example flight. Since I know that I with a long haul flight my year of balance sheet verhagel, because it is the largest CO2-is Items, I’m only in exceptional situations, when it needs to be.

 

// Student food: How it is the responsibility of the policy, the topic of anchoring, to control and implement?

// Pufé: The policy provides information, creates structures and frameworks and promotes the breeding ground for more sustainability through the formation of opinion. And allocates the funds, rights, installed laws, incentives such as sanctions. It is dependent on the approval and acceptance of the population. A great Power of the policy is to support companies to implement. However, the policy needs to be informed yourself, and be brave enough to encourage innovation.

 

// Student food: Is organic products buy also sustainable at the same time to act?

// Pufé: Yes And No. “Organic” is not a reliable Label that certifies one as a buyer, the safety of a product over its entire supply and production chain. But “organic” tends to be the better choice than “normal”, if only because the Consumer – are comparable to his political choice – his voice certain manufacturers, or rather the other reserves. I would advise to buy products with seals, which you will Inform through the previous really familiar. Then you know: This is slightly more expensive, but is also sure of what you buy, is healthy and fairly produced; and sets the corresponding Signal. Best shopping principle is: local, seasonal, organic.

 

// Student food: What is special about your new book, “sustainability”?

// Pufé: It is an entry – level and Overview tools all the basic questions on the topic of sustainability to be answered. The Motto is: First learn to walk, then run. I wanted to inform lifted neither too shallow nor too, but the complex overall structure of sustainability in such a way to convey that you understand it.

 

// Student food: sustainability needs to pay for itself, it must be worthwhile, must have measurable results. What would concrete examples of companies that have sustainability actually also advantages, benefits and profit?

// Pufé: The world market leader, Knorr-Bremse wants to be double-target one-fifth more energy efficiency and a fifth less emissions by saving energy in the (electronic)Assembly lines – eliminating the annual electricity needs of 30 single family homes (or 64.510 kg CO2) or 14,000 euros a year per line.

Another example: As the first global clothing brand Patagonia switched to 100-percent organic cotton. Buyer is rewarded with a 25 percent increase in demand in the last two years.

 

// Student food: you talk in your book of the juridification of the principle of Sustainability. What do you mean?

// Pufé: There needs to be a sanction eligible for instance, the positive incentives, but also has the Power to punish. Without such an instance, each unpunished – whether corporations, governments or individuals, in the end. We need to move costs from the purely voluntary to a substantial and competitive advantages for those, the sustainability seriously and consistently across your entire supply and value creation chain. So far, we have the opposite Problem: people Who invest in sustainability as a long-term goal is not always immediately visible, especially in the global competition at a disadvantage. We see this especially clearly in China, where cheaper, because the cost of the environment, but also of human rights is produced. Companies that focus on sustainability, and will in the future derive competitive advantages.

 

// Student food: How would a future-oriented sustainability policy look like in your opinion?

// Pufé: Every government needs a Green Cabinet. Germany has something of the German Council for Sustainable development. But this Institution is a muscle weak giant. Skills, but no Power, the claim on this expertise-based recommendations. At the same time, the issue of sustainability must be included in every political decision – whether Reform, program, policy or legislation: are they Compatible with the long-term viability of our state, our country, our society? Then we could save on costs in the future, the high level of repair, which amounts to ten to twenty times in comparison to a preventive and integrated measures.

 

Vorrausschauend denken und handeln

Iris Pufé

Sustainability

262 pages , br.

ISBN 978-3-8252-3667-0

€ (D) 14,99