ClimatePartner Academy: Growing interest in corporate climate protection

Intermediary report on the ClimatePartner Academy 2020

Companies are increasingly interested in the opportunities of climate protection as there is also a growing understanding of the general relevance of the topic. This is the feedback[1] of the participants of the ClimatePartner Academy, who´s attendance has more than tripled compared to the previous year.

The motivation of the participants

The main motivation to take part in the Academy is the high relevance of climate protection for businesses, sales opportunities, consumer value and the companies´ own reputation: While this applied for 64 percent of attending companies in spring 2019, this figure has now risen to over 71 percent. At the same time, basic understanding of climate protection seems to also have increased. As a result, 57 percent – fewer companies than in the previous year (62 percent) – need to learn more about the general context and background of climate protection.

Which topics are most important for the companies

• For the majority of the companies, the introduction to carbon footprinting is the most important topic of the Academy. Almost 65 percent want to understand its potential and learn what conclusions can be drawn from it for a climate protection strategy - over eight percent more than in the same period of 2019.
• The knowledge about carbon offset projects is slightly increasing: while 61 percent of the participants last year, this year it is still 58 percent who primarily want to learn about the functioning, criteria and technologies of the projects.
• Details of climate-conscious supply chains is one of the most important topics for 40 percent of the participants - just as many as in spring 2019. But this is also where there is the greatest need for exchange and discussion.
• A change is evident in communication and marketing. While the topic was of central interest to 54 percent of the participants last year, it is now only 39 percent. Here too, the figures suggest that companies have now gained experience and know what opportunities are available to them.
• This development is even more evident in the feedback on the relevance of climate protection. While 36 percent wanted to be made aware of its general importance in the academy dates of spring 2019, this year the figure is only 20 percent.

The importance of climate protection from the customer's perspective

Almost half (49 percent) of the companies assess the awareness of their customers for the importance of climate protection as high to very high - an increase of more than ten percent compared to the previous year. Just over a third (35 percent), as in the previous year, rated the relevance of climate protection among their customers as medium, and only just under 16 percent considered it low to very low. In 2019, 26 percent still held this view.

To take account of the trends shown here, we will also offer in-depth events - so-called Deep Dive events - on special individual topics in the future. A current overview of the other Academy dates is available here: https://www.climatepartner.com/de/academy

[1] Feedback from 313 participants of the ClimatePartner Academy and online events between 10 March and 1 April 2020.