At first, we thought the requirements would be easy to meet, since we naively assumed that we would already be doing a lot by providing vegan milk and Fairtrade coffee in our kitchen and separating our waste. But we were wrong. The check showed that there were a number of areas in which we could make our work in the company even more future-oriented. Instead of disillusionment, however, we were filled with curiosity. We were keen to explore the topic of sustainability in greater depth and in doing so came across aspects that, for example, had to take into account questions of fair social interaction. We had not yet considered our support for ‘Aktion Mensch’ and ‘Doctors Without Borders’ from this perspective. Our exciting insights sparked additional motivation to work even more intensively on our efforts to create a future worth living in and a sustainable way of working. Suddenly we were confronted with challenges that had previously been completely off our radar. So we sat down and discussed our goals and measures in detail. It also became clear that sustainability is an ongoing process and not a final goal.

First steps – first successes

First, we focused on the obvious and easy-to-change factors. Instead of just focusing on separation, we set ourselves the goal of avoiding waste as much as possible. A large part of this was the increasing digitalization of our work processes and supply chains. Almost all of our processes are digital, which means that the printer is usually idle and seems like a relic from days long gone. These simple steps enabled us to significantly reduce our waste, which we now want to call ‘recyclable material’. The introduction of the 49-euro ticket also helped our sustainability efforts. Since we are well connected in the heart of the Schanzenviertel, it was easy for us to decide to make the ticket available to all our employees. It should be an additional incentive to leave the car at home more often, even in private, and to use public transport instead. All in all, a good measure – even if construction sites and occasional rail strikes require a certain level of frustration. But nobody said that the path to greater sustainability is an easy one. It was important to us that this path to greater sustainability is not just a PR stunt, but also involves a conscious rethinking for us as a company and its employees.

Always on the lookout for new ideas

In addition to avoiding waste and offering new mobility options, we were looking for other ways to become even greener. Usually, a walk during lunch break or a look out of the window of our agency with a hot cup of coffee was enough to gain new impressions in our lively neighborhood. This is how we came up with the idea of adopting a green space for a street strip and creating a small agency garden there. This garden is home to a wild bee hotel. Watching the hustle and bustle and the buzzing of the bees is an excellent way to relax from our demanding agency routine and hectic city life. Our commitment to sustainability has now reached the point where we are working with the Bees & Trees foundation on a pro bono basis and regularly update their website (you can find out more about this cooperation in our cases!). We hope that this will raise awareness of nature and environmental protection among more people and inspire them to question their everyday routines and, ideally, change them – even if it’s only a small change. Because not everyone has to become a world saver. Even the smallest steps in the right direction will get you there.

Always looking ahead

We look back on our previous measures with pride and a pinch of satisfaction. But that’s not all! Our big goal is to become carbon neutral by 2027. We not only want to minimize the negative impact of our work on the climate, but also to align our actions in such a way that we actively contribute to positive change – true to Gandhi’s motto: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. To achieve these ambitious goals, we will continue to pursue our chosen path with even greater determination, while also exploring new paths. As an agency, dealing creatively with new problems is part of our everyday work and is what makes our job so enjoyable. What started out as a mere interest has now become a matter close to our hearts. We stand by our values and believe that passion and commitment can overcome any problem – even those you didn’t even know you had. After all, we have been awarded bronze in the Sustainability Rating for the third year in a row. We will continue.

If you have any suggestions or would like to join us on this journey, please feel free to contact us.