The problem is not the different advertising claims referring to climate neutrality, but the often lack of transparency and the insufficient information offered on how the companies achieve the goal of climate neutrality. In the opinion of the Wettbewerbszentrale, companies with the statement «climate neutral» create the expectation that this status has been achieved solely through measures that have led to the avoidance and reduction of emissions on site in their own company. However, this was not the case in the cases warned by the Wettbewerbszentrale. Instead, the companies concerned achieved climate neutrality exclusively on the balance sheet by purchasing CO2 certificates, without openly communicating this. Therefore, the self-regulatory institution considers these cases to be misleading.
For myclimate, it is clear that CO2 offsetting must always go hand in hand with the avoidance and reduction of CO2 emissions in order to achieve carbon neutrality. And that this should also be communicated in this way. «Our motto Do your best - offset the rest sums it up very well», says Stefan Baumeister, Managing Director of myclimate Deutschland gGmbH. «Because on the path to carbon neutrality, it is always a question of how a company can first exploit its own scope for action in terms of climate protection and how the desired commitment can be embedded in a long-term climate protection strategy. Only in the second step we talk about offsetting unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions,» he explains.
myclimate advises companies holistically on strategic climate protection and CO2 management. In doing so, the non-profit organisation not only shows where there is potential for companies to save energy, but also offers concrete solutions. «In addition, we also advise our partners on how to set up their communication successfully and transparently,“ adds Baumeister and continues: «Companies should make clear in their communication which measures are being realised to avoid and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and how high the share of CO2 offsetting is in relation to carbon neutrality.»