We – the new, collective, seven-strong management team – are pleased to present you with our myclimate annual report for 2023. In it, you can read about our financial results, the most important details of our “climate impact” and contributions to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), along with selected highlights from the past financial year.
But we would like to use this introduction to talk to you about time and urgency. The urgency of climate protection, in other words the limited time left for us to act, is beyond dispute in the political, business and social spheres. Despite this awareness, many of the campaigns discussed and implemented today are designed to take effect in the medium to long term.
Future targets like “net zero” are crucial. However, in setting these goals, there is sometimes a lack of consideration for the present and the past – a basic motivation for action. We plan for “net zero” in the future, but we are not doing enough right now. Our emissions are still too high, and we need to do more to finance the transition.
myclimate’s work focuses on this time dilemma – in particular, the balance between ambitious targets and measures in the present day. Our support offers companies a solid foundation and recommendations for actions that reduce their footprint in the short, medium and long term. We can guide you through the development of a climate strategy, the definition of a reduction pathway and the regular review of these targets. With our education programmes, we use the time available to your employees, no matter their age, not only to outline opportunities and expand knowledge but also to spark inspiration and enthusiasm for actions that contribute towards a sustainable future.
But it will take more than just reduction measures. As a result, we continue to advocate for support of climate protection projects, which represent highly effective and – even more importantly – immediate contributions to climate protection. Reduction measures with an immediate effect in other locations, combined with strategic reduction plans – the concept of “Beyond Value Chain Mitigation” – lay the groundwork for comprehensive climate protection. This combination is also recommended by prestigious institutions like the SBTi and Oxford University.
Last year, myclimate once again facilitated an immediate climate impact in this area via the projects it has supported. In total, your support has led to the avoidance or long-term absorption of more than 5 million tonnes of CO2. This is all the more impressive considering we have dropped concepts like “climate neutrality” and “offsetting”, which are marketable but no longer appropriate.
Things have become a little more heated in the projects space. There has been a welcome focus on these vital reduction efforts, but it is also accompanied by concerns and uncertainty around project quality and the effectiveness of communications. Current draft legislation such as the European Union’s Green Claims Directive and Switzerland’s Climate Protection Ordinance, which is currently out for public consultation, addresses these concerns.
At myclimate, we emphatically welcome new, tighter regulations. They offer clear advantages for companies aiming to live up to their societal, social and environmental responsibility. Our new services, whether in communications or in consultancy on the equally new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), help companies meet requirements and make the most of the potential they offer.
In this respect, we are committed to dialogue with political representatives in the European Union and in Switzerland. As a foundation, we want to understand what these new climate protection regulations mean for companies in terms of their real-world application. At the same time, we want to contribute the experience that we have gleaned over 20-plus years of work to advocate for integrity in the configuration of these laws.
In short, you can continue to trust in myclimate, a skilled partner to guide you along the path towards net zero with long-term strategic consulting and awareness-raising, plus solutions with immediate impact, such as financing high-quality climate protection projects.
Finally, we are aiming for continuity across time. In recent years, we have turned to musical analogies in our annual report, and shared songs that underscore our core concerns. We aim to continue this fine tradition and we’re building a bridge from the past to the future. We’re sticking with the “rock” end of things and hope you enjoy the song “Times Like These” by Foo Fighters as an accompaniment to your reading of our annual report.
Header image: Photo Studio Oefner
