Shaping the future innovatively

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH sets itself specific, measurable objectives in such areas as environment and climate change, human rights, sustainable procurement and equality in its Sustainability Programme 2016-2020. But what do the company’s partners and commissioning parties expect of it in terms of sustainability management over the next few years? At the third Stakeholder Day, held on 22 June 2020, GIZ colleagues including Chair of the Management Board Tanja Gönner and representatives of the Sustainability Board joined around 75 participants from politics, the private sector, academia and civil society to discuss this issue. The coronavirus pandemic meant that the event took place online for the first time.

And as Tanja Gönner stressed, the impact of the pandemic will also influence the company’s future direction. ‘Coronavirus has shown just how urgent many issues are. We cannot return to the status quo,’ she said; ‘Our priority now is to consider how we can shape the future innovatively. And sustainability will be crucial to that.’

In four workshops, Stakeholder Day participants discussed GIZ’s approaches and made recommendations for the future. The priority themes this year have been climate management, sustainable procurement, gender and diversity, and protecting and promoting human rights. The ideas and recommendations compiled in the workshops provide impetus for shaping the Sustainability Programme 2021-2025, which will determine GIZ’s corporate sustainability management. A report on the outcomes will be published in the second half of 2020.