Climate change and its consequences represent one of the most pressing challenges of our time for politics and society. The topic is also high on the agenda of eastern Bavarian companies, and they are responding in a variety of ways, such as by increasing energy and resource efficiency. We talk in the following interview with Dr. Jürgen Helmes, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Regensburg for Upper Palatinate / Kelheim and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oliver Mayer, Head of Energy and Cluster Energy Technology at Bayern Innovativ GmbH about the recently published climate protection guide, which is to drive the commitment of companies in the region even further.
Corporate Carbon Footprint für effektiven und effizienten Klimaschutz.
What is the background to the cooperation with Bayern Innovativ?
Why did it come about in the first place that you commissioned a climate protection guide?
Dr. Jürgen Helmes: In recent years, many regional companies have set themselves the goal of wanting to act even more sustainably. With our catalog of measures, we would like to support the companies in this.
What was the approach to the creation of the guide?
Prof. Dr. Oliver Mayer: We have developed a very well-functioning approach in close coordination with Dr. Robert Baumhof (Division Manager Energy, Innovation, Environment, Industry at the IHK Regensburg for Upper Palatinate / Kelheim). The IHK provided us with an overview of the industries in its catchment area. We then evaluated core factors for these industries, such as average energy and resource consumption. On this basis, measures for energy efficiency were elicited. Subsequently, it was determined which of these actions are cross-industry and which are specific. On this basis, the guide recommends actions that, on average, all companies can implement. This also enables networking among the sectors - on the one hand, via experiences of implementation and, on the other, via a second part containing specific measures.
Which points are responsible for the success of the catalog of measures from your point of view?
Dr. Jürgen Helmes: In addition to the joint know-how of Bayern Innovativ and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, flexible cooperation was crucial in the creation of the guide - especially in view of the fact that a large part of the concept was created in the middle of the first wave of the Corona pandemic. In addition to practicable solutions, the guide also shows concrete company examples from various industries and incorporates regional contacts. Companies should be able to access the topics climate protection and sustainability as easily as possible and hurdles should be reduced.
Now there are certainly already similar publications. What distinguishes the climate protection guide of the IHK Regensburg from that of other publishers?
Dr. Jürgen Helmes: A key feature is the orientation of the guide to our regional economic structure. The concepts thematized in the climate protection guide are tailored to the specific needs of the industries in our region. The climate protection guide not only contains savings measures that are usually already in place in certain sectors. Rather, companies will also find cross-sectional measures as well as background knowledge on environmental and climate-relevant aspects. In addition, the guide is distinguished by a tool , which on the one hand allows companies to estimate the CO2 savings of individual measures, but on the other hand also shows where the own company stands in the industry and company comparison.
So with this tool, the own corporate carbon footprint can be determined. How exactly does that work?
Prof. Dr. Oliver Mayer: The Excel tool makes it possible to quickly and easily estimate the potential for improvement and how one's own company compares with other companies in the industry. It is important to note that this is not a precise calculation, but rather a quick estimate with a corresponding margin of error. The goal is to quickly generate initial values for an agile approach in order to be able to make more precise decisions based on them in the next steps.
