300 participants came together at the climate protection day of the association Klimaschutz-Unternehmen to exchange views on corporate climate protection – including association member ZINQ.

In four different specialist panels, representatives from politics, business and academia spoke about pathways to climate-neutral enterprise, the Supply Chain Act, the Circular Hotspot and corporate climate transformation. In the main panel discussion entitled „Sustainable business – securing the future“, Lars Baumgürtel, Managing Partner of ZINQ GmbH & Co. KG, discussed six thematic areas for a sustainable economy with other representatives. „A circular economy is much more than increasing quantitative recycling. On the path to a circular economy, we must first achieve a fundamental understanding of circular quality, principles for ecodesign for sustainable products of the European Union, and the corresponding recording of environmental impacts over the entire life cycle in complete supply chains and in product passports,“ emphasised Lars Baumgürtel.

In his video message to the participants, Dr Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, compared the members of climate protection companies to shining beacons, of which there need to be more given the scale of the challenges. Lars Baumgürtel also underlined the importance of cooperation and initiatives. „Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular must join forces in regional clusters such as Klimahafen Gelsenkirchen or Transform to Zero in the Prosperkolleg in order to organise themselves, learn from one another and grow together.“

Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, expressed confidence. She stated that they were working with determination to develop North Rhine-Westphalia into Europe's first climate-neutral industrial region. In doing so, she highlighted the role of climate protection companies as pioneers of an unstoppable transition. For Lars Baumgürtel, there is no alternative either. „We have to make it happen and get down to business. Our current and future economic system can only be justified by shifting to a fully circular economy.“