Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 1: keine Armut. Menschen halten sich an den Händen.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 1: No poverty. People holding hands.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 10: Weniger Ungleichheiten. Ein = Zeichen mit Pfeilen nach oben, unten, links und rechts.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced inequalities. An equals sign (=) surrounded by arrows pointing up, down, left, and right.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 11: Nachhaltige Städte und Gemeinden. Mehrere Gebäude.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities. Several buildings.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 12: Nachhaltiger Konsum und Produktion. Ein Unendlichkeitssymbol.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production. An infinity symbol.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 13: Maßnahmen zum Klimaschutz. Ein Auge, dessen Pupille eine Weltkugel ist.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate action. An eye with a globe as a pupil.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 14: Leben unter Wasser. Ein Fisch schwimmt unter Wellen.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life below water. A fish swimming beneath waves.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 15: Leben an Land. Ein Baum und Vögel.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on land. A tree and birds.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 16: Frieden, Gerechtigkeit und starke Institutionen. Eine Taube und ein Richterhammer.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 17: Partnerschaften zur Erreichung der Ziele. Sich überlappende Kreise.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals. Overlapping circles.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 2: Kein Hunger. Aus einer Schüssel steigt Dampf auf.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero hunger. Steam rising from a bowl.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 3: Gesundheit und Wohlergehen. Linie eines EKGs, die in einem Herz endet.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good health and well-being. ECG line leading into a heart symbol.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 4: Hochwertige Bildung. Ein aufgeschlagenes Buch und ein Stift.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality education. An open book and a pencil.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 5: Geschlechtergleichheit. Eine Kombination aus den Symbolen für Männlichkeit und Weiblichkeit, mit einem = Zeichen in der Mitte.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender equality. A combination of the male and female gender symbols with an equals sign (=) in the middle.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 6: Sauberes Wasser und Sanitäreinrichtungen. Ein mit Wasser gefülltes Glas.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation. A glass filled with water.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 7: Bezahlbare und saubere Energie. Eine Sonne mit einem An-/Aus-Zeichen in der Mitte.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy. A sun with a power button symbol in the middle.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 8: Menschenwürdige Arbeit und Wirtschaftswachstum. Ein Balkendiagramm mit Pfeil nach oben.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth. A bar chart with an arrow pointing upwards.Grafik: Ziel für nachhaltige Entwicklung 9: Industrie, Innovation und Infrastruktur. Mehrere verschachtelte Würfel.Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure. Several interlocking cubes. Graphic: Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions. A dove and a gavel. Artboard 1

Sustainability: setting priorities together

GIZ is continuously refining its corporate Sustainability Programme and it is important for us to involve our partners around the globe in this process.

‘Thank you very much, goodbye!’ says Vishakha Jha as she takes her leave from Rajan Chedambath, the head of a municipal research institute. The Sustainability Manager for GIZ India had just been discussing the positive and negative sustainability aspects of GIZ’s work in India. It is one of a total of 13 such discussions that Vishakha held in 2023.

Photo: A man and woman sitting on a bench and talking.
We engage in ongoing dialogue with our partners – including on sustainability.
© GIZ / Tillmann Franzen
Photo: Windmills against a blue sky.
Many partners consider GIZ’s influence on climate change to be positive, especially in the field of renewable energy.
© GIZ / Thomas Imo / photothek.net

Vishakha passes on the results of her discussions to Christine Weinreich, who works at GIZ in Bonn, Germany, as an expert in sustainability reporting. The purpose of the partner survey for Christine and her colleagues is to find out which sustainability issues are particularly important for GIZ – with regard to both its own operational sustainability and its project work.

Using a predefined list of topics, the discussion partners choose the areas where GIZ, in their opinion, produces the greatest positive and negative impacts. The questions cover opportunities and risks with regard to the climate, but also matters such as waste, equality or political rights. The partner survey is part of the materiality analysis that GIZ conducted in 2023.

Profile picture: Christine Weinreich
© GIZ / Lotta Schütt

»Actively addressing the material topics«

Christine Weinreich coordinated GIZ’s materiality analysis and partner survey in 2023. In this interview, she tells us why both of these are so important.

What are the findings of the 2023 materiality analysis?

A materiality analysis identifies issues that are particularly relevant to a company like GIZ. The new analysis shows that our material topics as previously defined, such as curbing climate change, the sustainable use of resources and working conditions for our staff and for people in our supply chains, continue to be of the utmost relevance to our work. However, as we are following the new EU-wide Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) standard in this latest analysis, the selection of topics has changed to a certain extent. Some entirely new areas were added to the analysis in 2023, too, for example the protection of ecosystems such as forests.

»It’s not enough just to ask GIZ staff members which aspects of sustainability we have the greatest influence over. Our international partners are very important stakeholders for us.«

Christine Weinreich,
Corporate Development Unit
Policy Advisor Quality and Sustainability

So, the material topics set the direction for reporting. What happens beyond that with the findings of the analysis?

What is important is that, as a company, we actively address the material topics in order to limit any negative impacts on our environment as much as possible while at the same time minimising financial risks for GIZ. Our motto is don’t just talk about it, do it! We use the material topics to further refine our Sustainability Programme and identify core measures. We did this after the last materiality analysis in 2020, as well. And since then, we have already implemented half of all the measures, for instance a pilot project for an emissions budget in 2023.

Why are the partners’ assessments and perspectives so important for the analysis?

It’s not enough just to ask GIZ staff members which aspects of sustainability we have the greatest influence over. Our international partners are very important stakeholders for us. Not only can they share their own views as GIZ’s partners, but they also provide a perspective that is even closer to the people for whom GIZ works worldwide. The partner survey is the first time that we have systematically incorporated them into a dialogue on the subject of sustainability. This meant that we were able to find out what they expect of our work. We are using the information to continue the strategic development of our sustainability management system.

GRI and CSRD – what the reporting standards mean

Up to now, GIZ has compiled its reports on corporate sustainability in line with the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative – or GRI for short. As of the reporting year 2025, a new EU-wide standard will become mandatory: the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The main difference between the two standards has to do with the underlying materiality analysis (see interview). The first time that GIZ will report in accordance with CSRD will be for the reporting year 2025. However, we are already taking the necessary first steps, by introducing the extended materiality analysis and partner survey, for example.

Diverse perspectives on sustainability in India

When Vishakha Jha learned about the partner survey, she was immediately enthusiastic: ‘It’s a great opportunity for us to find out about our partners’ opinions. We have been working with Rajan Chedambath’s institute for more than 10 years now, looking at areas such as adaptation to climate change. It was fascinating to hear what aspects of sustainability he associated our work with,’ Vishakha tells us.

The most difficult thing, she says, was to choose a small number of the very many potential project partners to talk to. GIZ implements over 100 projects in India with a wide range of partner organisations, and they all have a different view of our work. This is why Vishakha, sitting at her desk in New Delhi, devised a matrix, divided up according to various criteria. ‘I wanted to be sure that we interview not only ministries, consultancy firms and non-governmental organisations, but also a few staff members from our country offices. Drawing on all these different perspectives has given us a good overall picture.’

Profile picture: Rajan Chedambath.

»It is commendable to see that GIZ is actively seeking perspectives and feedback from partners. This strengthens our long-standing cooperation with GIZ across various projects and strengthens our relationship.«

Rajan Chedambath, Head of the c-hed Kochi Community Research Institute in India
© c-hed Kochi
Photo: Group photo of around thirty people posing around two yellow rubbish bins.
Composters that convert biowaste into fertiliser for staff members’ gardens are part of GIZ’s sustainability initiative in India.
© GIZ/Vishakha Jha

Influential findings

It came as little surprise to Vishakha Jha that the issues rated as being most positive among the partners she interviewed were those on which they cooperate with GIZ themselves. ‘Many are not at all familiar with the full extent of our work. That is why it was important to broaden the perspective in the dialogue together.’ The findings from India in large part match those of the company-wide materiality analysis. Many partners emphasised that GIZ's work has a positive impact on climate change, especially in the field of energy. At the same time, the potential for reducing emissions through the use of green energy is particularly big in India. For this reason, it remains a material topic for GIZ.

The findings were fed into GIZ’s materiality analysis together with the results from Mexico, Thailand, Togo, Uganda and Uzbekistan, where partner surveys were also carried out. They will determine the future topics on which GIZ will report. In addition, they will form the basis for the sustainability strategy and the measures included in the Sustainability Programme.

Profile picture: Vishakha Jha

»Our impact on climate and environmental issues was very often rated as positive, with some employees from the country offices noting that we should focus even more consistently on sustainable events and procurement in our own actions.«

Vishakha Jha,
Sustainability Manager at GIZ India
© Vishakha Jha

Making progress with material topics

We defined core measures for all material topics in our Sustainability Programme on the basis of our last materiality analysis in 2020. They are shared between four areas: climate management and mobility, resource efficiency and biodiversity, sustainable procurement, and human rights. Implementation of the programme is making steady progress. We have already implemented nearly half of all the defined measures, and a further 35 per cent are at the preparation stage. You can read about highlights from 2023 in the slider.

Photo: Two women and three men standing next to a GIZ banner. One man is holding a document.
© BMUV / Christoph Wehrer
GIZ statement receives Environmental Management Award for outstanding clarity

In our materiality analyses in 2020 and 2023, we identified climate change, environmental protection and energy as the most important topics. These have long been high priorities for GIZ: we have been EMAS-certified for 10 years. In the Environmental Statement that we need to provide for certification, we demonstrate every year how we are minimising our ecological footprint, what objectives we are setting for ourselves and what progress we are making. In 2023, we received the prestigious Environmental Management Award from the German and Austrian environment ministries as recognition of this.

Photo: A charging cable plugged into an electric car.
© GIZ / Florian Kopp
A budget for emissions

In 2023, we implemented another measure to address the material topic of climate change mitigation in the form of a pilot project: the greenhouse gas budget. Five organisational units, among them the country offices in Colombia, Rwanda and Lebanon, were given a greenhouse gas budget for emissions from flights and vehicles in much the same way as they are given a financial budget. The goal was to establish transparency about greenhouse gas emissions and thereby create incentives to reduce them. We will evaluate the results in 2024 and use them as a basis for introducing the next steps.

Photo: A meeting in an office.
© GIZ / Tillmann Franzen
Protecting human rights through risk analyses

Another very important topic that we identified in our materiality analysis is the protection of human rights. We have long been committed to improving the human rights situation worldwide, and not only since the German Supply Chain Act entered into force. For us, this also means analysing the risk of human rights violations at our own locations every year. Our analysis for 2023 revealed that 69 GIZ locations are situated in high-risk countries. However, questionnaires and interviews with the respective location managers showed that specific risks have already been reduced thanks to existing prevention measures and that regulations on protecting the human rights of GIZ staff are effective.

Photo: A man leaning against an electric SUV looks towards the camera with a friendly expression.
© GIZ

Sustainability management in Uganda: imitators welcome

We have set ourselves ambitious environmental and climate targets. If we are to achieve these, all GIZ locations around the world have to pull in the same direction. Here you can read about how committed action and an electric car are causing a sensation in Uganda.

Learn more
Below you will find information about the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) sustainability standards:

GRI 2: General Disclosures 2021

GRI 3: Material Topics

  • Additional information about GRI, the German Sustainability Code and the Global Compact can be found here

Find out more about our environmental topics here:
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