The first Corporate Sustainability Handprint® report has been published

Sustainable development is the guiding principle for GIZ. But how can a company measure sustainability? Which aspects does it cover and how can these be made tangible? GIZ developed the Corporate Sustainability Handprint® (CSH) to enable projects and offices in Germany and abroad to do their work sustainably with a sharp focus on the future. CSH can measure our ecological footprint as well as our ‘handprint’, i.e. the positive contribution we make. The handprint illustrates the four sustainability dimensions: economic capability, ecological balance, political participation and social responsibility. We have subdivided the four dimensions into a total of 14 critical fields of actions, upon which specific measures are based. Therefore, the motto of CSH is: Reduce your footprint, enlarge your handprint.

GIZ has now published its first CSH report. It explains how CSH is used and presents the initial results of the 40 participating countries. In order to enlarge their handprint, countries try to procure more local equipment and materials or refit electronic devices in their offices, for example. Other measures include corporate health management such as opportunities to engage in sport, advice on nutrition and workplace design, or avoiding waste in everyday work and recycling. In total, the countries have committed to 450 specific improvement goals in order to improve their sustainability performance. Almost all participating countries have adopted the goals from CSH in their country specific annual plans. In this way, corporate sustainability is firmly anchored in our daily business.