#NEW BUSINESS MODELS - Horst Brandstätter Group

INSPIRATIONS FOR HOLISTIC PROGRESS

The Club of Rome has published a "Survivalguide for the Planet". The message is clear:

We must succeed in achieving systemic change within this decade. Companies have a responsibility to make a substantial contribution - to protect resources and avoid harmful emissions. At the Horst Brandstätter Group, we are committed to continuously advancing our sustainability performance, regularly assessing our targets and embracing new ways of working together. We do so because we are convinced that business success is the fundamental driver of sustainable transformation.

HOW IS SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS MEASURED?

The world depends on protecting ecological systems, and the environmental impacts associated with resource use must be continuously reduced. Many governments, companies, and individuals are already taking important steps toward a more carbon-efficient world. Change, however, is not happening fast enough. According to the IPCC, current climate policies are likely to lead to a temperature increase of well over 2°C in the coming decades. Too often, the global community is still stuck in a triangle of inaction: People expect companies to change their operating or business models, companies expect governments to create the right policy framework or tax incentives, and governments wait for people to change their behavior. As Horst Brandstätter Group, we want to help break through this inaction - by taking new steps, launching new initiatives and enabling new forms of collaboration.

USING TENSIONS CREATIVELY!

To make this possible together with our partners, a shift in mindset is required. Economic success must no longer be viewed as a goal that stands in opposition to creating social and environmental value. On the contrary, entrepreneurial thinking and action are important means to an end and can contribute to achieving specific sustainability objectives.

When designing new collaboration models, we are guided by eight principles that inspire and shape our entrepreneurial activities. Based on these principles, we aim to develop new business areas step by step that support clearly defined environmental and social goals.

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Meaning-Making

We provide impetus for people to find meaning for themselves or in community, whether through personal projects or social commitment. Our group, its brands and its products offer many possibilities for identification.

Health

We create conditions for people that promote their health. This applies to our services and products as well as to our operational processes. All work processes are regularly checked for safety. We offer good working conditions that enable a healthy work-life balance.

Influence

We help to ensure that people can participate. This includes supporting freedom of expression and personal engagement. To this end, we are in dialog with various stakeholder groups.

Resource Protection

To meet its energy needs, humanity extracts vast amounts of resources from the Earth, at a scale and speed that exceed the regenerative capacity of ecosystems. This applies to fossil fuels, water, and rare earth elements alike. The combustion of fossil fuels releases harmful emissions into the atmosphere. For this reason, the principle of resource conservation must play a central role in the future. The environmental impacts associated with resource extraction should be continuously reduced. Achieving this will require, among other measures, a decisive shift toward renewable energy sources.

Synthetic Materials

Many innovations result in synthetic materials entering the natural environment, often with negative consequences for ecosystems. Going forward, the environmental impacts associated with the production, use, and recycling of synthetic materials should be further reduced. We regularly assess materials and substances for their potential environmental and health impacts. For this reason, we are, for example, evaluating alternative materials for our products and working on the implementation of a product take-back system.

Competence

We help people to develop individually or in community. To this end, we offer a variety of inspirational activities - personal, playful, educational.

Ecosystem Protection

Natural ecosystems are adversely affected by human activity. Deforestation of rainforests, monoculture farming, land sealing, and landfill sites all contribute to serious challenges for nature and wildlife. It is therefore essential that all stakeholders support the restoration of natural environments while keeping the impact of their own operations on ecosystems to a minimum. This includes ensuring ecological sustainability in construction and renovation projects, using bio-based raw materials, and managing water resources responsibly. Products are continuously assessed and further developed with regard to their potential impact on nature and the environment. In addition, we are working on a strategy to reduce production waste and improve recycling and recovery rates.

Impartiality

We support people in forming an unbiased picture of the world. Our products and services help people meet each other without prejudice and without any form of discrimination. This applies to us in the company as well as to society.

This creates challenges and tensions for which new creative solutions must be found. For established brands, too, it is crucial to build new trust. The key questions are: How do I design a product or service that helps people in the world? What design is necessary so that we do not consume more resources than our planet can provide? The Horst Brandstätter Group wants to answer these questions cogently - and thus become a platform for future investments within the entire value chain.

SUPPLY CHAIN EMISSIONS IN FOCUS

From the perspective of climate experts, global supply chains are the area where cooperation on emissions reduction still has immense potential. Large corporations as well as SMEs must therefore now enter into a committed decarbonisation dialogue. The Horst Brandstätter Group also sets itself ambitious goals in this regard. We are working to further strengthen our position in climate management, whether by implementing evolving regulatory requirements, such as mandatory climate reporting, or by exploring ways to integrate climate targets into procurement processes. Platforms such as Science Based Targets provide important guidance.

We need a global systemic perspective to successfully address the socio-environmental challenges and to initiate a global shift in consciousness in favour of sustainability. This requires tremendous efforts at all levels - local, regional and global, coupled with ingenuity, innovation, new technologies, effectiveness and smart governance. "Business as usual" is no longer an option.
Dr. Johan Rockström from the Stockholm Resilience Center