Commitment
to the environment
Alongside putting specific in-house environmental and climate protection measures in place, we have for many years been supporting numerous international organizations dedicated to protecting the environment and nature – for example, "Planète Urgence", an initiative launched in Paris in 2000. This nonprofit organization has been part of Groupe SOS – one of the world's largest social enterprises – since 2017, and it is especially committed to the protection of endangered species and the reforestation of rain forests, particularly in Indonesia, Cameroon, and Madagascar. DEKRA Automotive France has been a global supporter of Planète Urgence since 2010. The efforts of DEKRA alone have enabled the planting of more than 120,000 trees to date. DEKRA is also a supporter of the "Act4nature" initiative launched in 2018 by the Association Française des Entreprises pour l'Environnement (French association of environmental enterprises) and numerous partners. Its aim is to mobilize businesses to address the issue of their direct and indirect impact, their dependencies and their options for action on behalf of nature, and to raise awareness of the need to preserve biodiversity.
Preserving biodiversity
Wherever possible, we strive to create habitats for plants and animals at our sites, thus contributing to the preservation of biodiversity. One example is the installation of five beehives at the DEKRA headquarters in Stuttgart. These are home to around 250,000 honey bees, which pollinate a wide variety of plants when collecting pollen and nectar. In doing so, they help to preserve the biodiversity of as many as 3,000 indigenous agricultural crops and wild plants, thus ensuring a balanced natural cycle. For one kilogram of honey, each DEKRA bee collects some three kilograms of nectar and visits around 150,000 flowers, which – with a flight radius of three kilometers – is equivalent to flying all the way around the world once. In terms of biodiversity, the forest on the Lausitzring near Klettwitz, preserved by DEKRA, must not go unmentioned. Across a 2.5-million square meter site, pines, robinias and red oaks aid the carbon capture that is so vital for the climate.
Cooperation and
initiatives for
sustainable
environmental protection
As a partner of Driversity, we take a proactive and sustainable approach to employee mobility. Some 100 companies and organizations in the business, science and political spheres have joined the initiative. Interdisciplinary teams develop projects for sustainable and flexible employee mobility, bringing together users and mobility providers. Implementation-ready ideas are rapidly translated into concrete projects by the Driversity teams. DEKRA is also committed to sustainable mobility at the "Clean Mobility Center" in Arnhem in the Netherlands. The European Innovation Cluster has set itself the task of contributing to clean, intelligent and safe mobility. In another partnership, South Pole (the leading provider of climate strategies) is supporting us in procuring 100 percent renewable energy. South Pole's mission is to accelerate the transition to a climate-friendly society. We also aim to play an active role to that end.
Project Manager
Sustainability Services
Germany
DEKRA Assurance Services
Simon Semmler works in the Environmental Management team, and supports the DEKRA Biodiversity Project.