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You are here: Home / Cradle to Cradle / Cradle to Cradle Congress takes place in Berlin for the first time

12. February 2020 | Monika Griefahn

Cradle to Cradle Congress takes place in Berlin for the first time

Group picture of all actors at the C2C Congress 2020.

Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Congress 2020 in Berlin
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Congress 2020 in Berlin
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Congress 2020 in Berlin
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Congress 2020 in Berlin
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Congress 2020 in Berlin
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Congress 2020 in Berlin
Rüdiger Nehberg Hochzeitstorte

(Based on the Cradle to Cradle press release of 4 February 2020; photos by Max Arens)
Climate-friendly behaviour and economic success do not have to, and indeed must not, be mutually exclusive. That was the core message at the kick-off for the 6th International Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Congress on 31 January and 1 February in Berlin. “I am convinced that a solution for the environmental and climate problems will not weaken business”, said Germany’s Federal Environment Minister, Svenja Schulze, in her welcoming address, adding that it was “important that we talk about perspectives and opportunities.” The Cradle to Cradle approach, she said, was “very optimistic, very visionary” and thus was a step in precisely the right direction.

C2C stands for comprehensive climate protection that goes well beyond the mere reduction of greenhouse gases. As a result, the organiser of the congress, the Cradle to Cradle NGO, is calling for more ambitious goals from policymakers and the economy. Already during the design phase of products, usage scenarios must be drawn up while, during production, suitable and healthy materials must be used. “C2C also stands for climate protection. But we must leave behind the idea of striving to be less bad and say goodbye to the concept of reduction as the sole approach,” said Nora Sophie Griefahn, managing director of Cradle to Cradle.

NEW MEASURES EVERY YEAR

In her subsequent discussion with Griefahn, Sabine Nallinger (Chairwoman, Foundation 2° – German Businesses for Climate Protection) and Reinhard Schneider (CEO, Werner & Mertz GmbH), Environment Minister Schulze said it was unrealistic to consider the climate package adopted by the German government in 2019 a sufficient measure to set appropriate regulatory conditions. “We have to stay focused, keep going further every year and introduce new measures”, she said.

German companies should also face up to their responsibility for climate and the environment, Nallinger said, not least for competitive reasons. “Climate-friendly technologies present an opportunity to perform better than others in international competition”, she said. “We have to do a lot more when it comes to C2C product design, new sharing models and new organisational solutions.”

OVERCOMING CONFLICTS OF OBJECTIVE

One example is the cleaning agent manufacturer Werner & Mertz. According to its CEO, Reinhard Schneider, the company is experiencing a societal change. “For 30 years, we have been working against the misconception that sustainability also means sacrifice”, said Schneider. “Today, there are many more technologies that can help overcome this supposed conflict of goals.” This was becoming more and more accepted in society, he added.

Tim Janßen, Executive Director of the Cradle to Cradle NGO, shares this assessment. “Fortunately, climate change and climate protection are topics that have moved up on society’s priority list”, he said at the event, which was attended by around 1,000 people on Friday.

AGRICULTURE AND SOIL

On Saturday the C2C Congress once more provided a forum discussions and debates with a wide variety of topics. An important theme was agriculture and soil management – soil, after all, is an important carbon sink. In one of the panels rounds, Professor Dr Hartmut Vogtmann said: “With our knowledge, we have put guilt upon ourselves.” Vogtmann, one of the pioneering figures in the context of organic farming, explained that agriculture originally was synonymous with circular economy and biodiversity. However, he said society had left this path and, by focusing on linear growth, had entered a damaging downward spiral. Around 40 million tons of greenhouse gases, he added, were emitted in Germany every year due to the overuse of grasslands and fens.

AGRICULTURE AS A COMMON GOOD

“We need a new approach to agriculture and the role it plays in society. It’s not just about food – agriculture must be understood as a common good”, Vogtmann said. He calls for a decrease in harmful subsidies around the world, a reduction in land usage, a stop to the loss of species and a rewetting of soils, adding that this must include adjustments to land and mining regulations so that the distribution of land can be restructured.

Many other experts were invited to contribute their insights on this topic. Participants at the congress were also able to exchange their ideas about C2C in the contexts of construction, finance or plastics. Further information is available on the C2C Congress website.

Filed Under: Cradle to Cradle, General Article

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Appointments

February 5, 2023: New Year’s reception of the SPD Heidekreis with party chairman Lars Klingbeil and the new Minister of the Interior of Lower Saxony Daniela Behrens in Walsrode.

February 7, 2023: Women in Lead event in Berlin. In 2021, the “Women in Lead” network was founded out of the SPD Economic Forum to add female leaders to the dialogue on the key economic and social issues of the day. Now it will be expanded to include an “Expert Group.”

February 14, 2023: Public meeting of the Climate Advisory Board of the City of Buchholz with presentation of the Climate Action Plan in the City’s budget.

March 10, 2023: The winner of the “Alternative Nobel Prize” Vladimir Slivyak from Russia is a guest at the “Reading without Nuclear Power” event in Hamburg. Read more about the event week of the association Culture for All!

March 17, 2023: Organizational meeting of the Swiss board of the Right Livlihood Foundation (“Alternative Nobel Prize”) for future events.

March 22-23, 2023: Roundtable of the Living City Foundation.

March 28, 2023: Keynote at the Automotive Industry Association VDA on “New Solutions for Climate Neutral Drives” Read more about the conference here (in German).

March 30, 2023: Participation in the real estate congress of the Federal Association of Free Real Estate and Housing Companies (BFW). Discussion in the panel “Departure into the circular economy.” Click here for the program (in German).

April 20, 2023: Start of the four-day nature film festival Lüneburger Heide under the patronage of Monika Griefahn. You will find the program here shortly (in German).


Nature Film Festival Lueneburg Heath

Planning group for the next Nature Film Festival Lueneburg Heath.

April 20-24, 2023: 2nd Nature Film Festival Lueneburg Heath with Monika Griefahn as patron. At four venues in the region of the Lüneburger Heide Nature Park, after 2021, it is once again: “Film off!” Visitors can expect fantastic nature films, stirring documentaries and, above all, great conversations with filmmakers and experts. From now on, check the status of the program planning at www.films4future.de (German).


Cradle to Cradle Congress 2021

Logo C2C-Congress

Cradle to Cradle Congress 2021: Because of the Corona pandemic the C2C Conress took place in three parts this year: The first one was on June 14, 2021 in Freiburg. The second took place on September 7, 2021 in Mainz, the third November 4, 2021 in Mönchengladbach.


eFuels

Synthetic fuels are one of the decisive factors for the energy transition away from fossile fuels. That is why I am committed to the further development and practical use of eFuels and became a member of the Sounding Board of the eFuel Alliance in May 2021.
English website of the eFuel Alliance


Climate committee

Constituent session: Photo: City of Buchholz / Helms

In May 2021, the climate committee was constituted in the climate forum at my place of residence in Buchholz in the Nordheide. I am pleased to be chairwoman of the advisory board! The city has set itself the goal of becoming climate neutral and there is still a lot to do to achieve this. The committee advises the municipal  administration on fundamental questions of climate policy.
To the article on the Buchholz website (in German)


Right Livelihood Laureate 2021

Right Livelihood Award

They stand up against violence and climate change and address the most pressing questions of our time: Marthe Wandou (Cameroon), Wladimir Sliwjak (Russia), Freda Huson (People of the Wet’suwet’en, Canada) and the Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (India) are the winners of the Right Livelohood Award (“Alternative Nobel Prize”) 2021. Please find here the award ceremony documentation or read more about the laureates in our blog.


Federal Order of Merit

After the award ceremony, Olaf Lies, Monika Griefahn and Rainer Rempe stand together. Photo: Frank Ossenbrink

After the award ceremony, Olaf Lies, Monika Griefahn and Rainer Rempe stand together. Photo: Frank Ossenbrink

Our CEO Dr. Monika Griefahn received the Federal Order of Merit. Please read more about her biography and about the award ceremony in our blog.


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