The IFF has been working with myclimate for six months. During this time the IFF has continued to develop its sustainability programme and has facilitated discussions between the climate fund and Member Associations as well as an IFF sponsor. myclimate works on three levels: runs carbon projects, consults organisations on sustainability and provides educational services. IFF had the opportunity to talk to Kai Landwehr, Head of Marketing at myclimate.

How can every one of us contribute to fight climate change?

– Your opportunities are manifold. Our nutritional habits, the way we commute, our consumption and the use of electronic devices, but also where we spend our holidays, and how we get there – every day we make countless decisions. If you know and weigh the impact for the climate before taking one of these decisions, you might choose the climate-friendlier one.

– But what most people underestimate is the impact they could have at work. It does not really matter if you work as an architect, a cook or in the marketing department of a larger enterprise. If you consider the environmental impact of your decisions at work, you will find better alternatives. These are not only better for the climate, but also for your company or your own business. A cook can effectively reduce food waste and promote vegetarian alternatives; an architect can influence the energy balance of buildings. The marketing manager can work on the digital footprint and decide to buy only certified green services, for instance.

What are the choices that you have made?

– I work for a foundation that focuses on climate protection, but also I have to remind myself about the impact of my daily decisions. It’s “okay” for the climate that I commute by bike 365 days a year, but have I screened all of the service providers I have chosen as partners for myclimate on their environmental impact? Do we really need a real “give-away” for our own marketing purposes? Is it inevitable to participate in an international trade show with a booth and staff?

How do you perceive the role of sports from an educational point?

– Sports mean emotional inspiration. People identify themselves with their heroes in sports. If you like it or not, you are a role model. Your behaviour has an impact on society, especially on the kids. Imagine what happens if a footballer like Cristiano Ronaldo has a new, kind of crazy haircut. It will take a couple of hours, and you will see hundreds of kids worldwide with the same one. Sports can use this influence for a better society. That is why a partnership like the one we can roll out with the IFF is so precious. If your favourite player or your favourite team speaks out for climate protection and walk the talk, you are likely to follow.

What kind of educational services has myclimate deployed?

–  We run several projects focusing on different target groups like school kids, young adults choosing their career, apprentices or professionals. But we also set up individual solutions like employee sessions in companies.

What is the attitude of Gen Z toward climate change?

– They are aware of the huge challenge of climate change. Young adults know that it will affect their lives and they want to do something about it.  This is why a single girl from Sweden was able to trigger the largest civil movement I have ever seen.

–  These young people want to save the climate, but they also want to enjoy being a young person in today’s world. Whether it be travelling and meeting other people, partying, using modern communication tools, or many more, the world is full of great opportunities when you are young. Sometimes, these opportunities are an integral part of your life; sometimes, something like travelling the world, the focus of your desire. If you are aware of the environmental impact of your desires as these young people are, you are facing a dilemma. We try to help young people dealing with this dilemma. You cannot solve this every time, but we want to empower the Gen Z people by giving them tools to measure their impact and by talking about alternatives. If you are a young German and looking for great parties with an international crowd, a trip to Hamburg’s Elbstrand or the Berlin clubs may fit your expectations just as well as a trip to Ibiza.

myclimate has been chosen as climate partner for the WFC 2022. What kind of educational possibilities do you see in this cooperation? What kind of concepts have developed to partners?

–  The WFC 2022 is the biggest stage the floorball sport can provide. People from many countries are going to follow the tournament and cheer for their team and their heroes. Simultaneously, organisers of other sporting events, federations, club and league officials will observe the tournament to get inspiration and sound examples for their own projects. Together with the organising committee of the WFC2022, we want to demonstrate what’s possible if you integrate climate protection and sustainable event management from the early beginning. What works with the WFC2022 will work for any comparable moment.

– From an educational, or better from an empowering perspective, we will integrate the fans and visitors. With our programme myclimate “Cause We Care”, we are going to create platforms where the visitors do not only learn about climate impact but also engage themselves and contribute to a sustainable WFC2022. We have established “Cause We Care” at several sporting events like the FIS Ski World Cup Adelboden or the “Eidgenössisches Schwing and Älpler Fest” (ESAF), the largest sports events in Switzerland in 2019. At the ESAF, fans and visitors, but also staff were able to voluntarily contribute to climate protection by donating the mandatory deposit for cutlery and (plastic) cups for food and drinks. The sponsors also contributed to the programme. Either, they decided not to do physical sampling or, if they did, to pay a climate fee for sampling. The voluntary contributions of the organising committee, fans and visitors, staff and sponsors made the event 100% climate neutral.

myclimate is a partner for effective climate protection – both locally and globally. The Swiss Non-Profit Organisation wants to shape the future together with its partners through consultation, education and carbon offset projects. myclimate pursues this as a science-based and business-orientated non-profit organisation. More on: www.myclimate.org!