Climate and environmental protection

In order to preserve our planet for many more generations, we all face major challenges in the coming decades. There is an increasing number of reports about the extinction of species, the decline of insect populations or microplastics in water and living organisms. Local pollution from air pollutants and noise also costs the lives of millions of people worldwide every year. These and other impacts of our lifestyles show how urgently politics, business and how each and every one of us must address these issues – while at the same time keeping an eye on other societal concerns such as prosperity, justice or technological change.
Above all, it is necessary to limit global warming to the lowest possible level through climate protection measures and to assess the unavoidable consequences in order to be able to react to them. The steadily growing world population and the pursuit of higher living standards lead to an increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Therefore, new perspectives are needed to decouple growth from the use of fossil fuels. At the same time, the effects of alternative technologies on animal and plant life must be taken into account.

Measures to protect the environment and the climate

In order to counteract climate change and preserve ecosystems in the long term, resource-conserving technologies and products must be further developed and become the standard. At the same time, we need effective measures to preserve biodiversity. To protect the environment, harmful activities must be avoided, their impacts reduced and natural conditions restored. One of the main approaches to climate protection is the reduction of greenhouse gases. But the conservation of forests, peatlands and oceans as sources of biodiversity and as carbon sinks is also essential for both environmental and climate protection.
The cross-sectoral megatrend of digitalisation offers a significant opportunity. However, the right course must be set at an early stage so that digital processes and applications are also designed sustainably. Otherwise, digitalisation could fuel climate change rather than reduce it.
Another example is measures to reduce the climate and environmentally harmful effects of transport. In terms of climate protection, passenger and freight transport is the only sector whose emissions did not decrease between 1990 and 2019. This is because although measures at EU or federal level are indeed having an effect, their positive effects are being offset by the increasing individualisation of mobility and consumption (keyword online commerce) and the resulting rise in traffic volumes.

Advising, Analysing, Promoting and Organising

In Germany, numerous climate and environmental protection measures are promoted at state level by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). Other departments and authorities at federal, state and municipal level also implement measures that serve environmental and climate protection. We support our clients with our wide-ranging expertise in the implementation of funding initiatives and the preparation of analyses and recommendations for action, or we are involved in European projects. Our work focuses on topics such as environmental technology, sustainable mobility, smart liveable cities, efficient industrial production and renewable energy sources.