Holiday donations 2021
In aid of climate protection and sustainable schooling: our 2021 holiday donation projects
A turbulent year is coming to an end. The Covid-19 pandemic continued to trouble us for another year, with children in particular suffering from lockdowns and restrictions; and we experienced a number of extreme weather events with appalling consequences.
Extreme weather affects us all
The floods in Germany and Central Europe were by no means the only natural disasters that rocked the world in 2021. Record heat in North America and Russia contributed to devastating forest fires; storms raged; and there were catastrophic floods in China, Turkey and India as well as in western Germany. These events caused billions of dollars’ worth of damage in residential areas and much human suffering.
This holiday season, instead of giving our customers and business partners gifts we are donating to causes that actively promote sustainability
Ahead of this year’s UN Climate Change Conference, the award-winning British natural historian, film-maker and writer Sir David Attenborough issued the following urgent warning: “Every month that passes, it becomes more and more incontrovertible: the changes to the planet that we are responsible for are having devastating effects. If we don’t act now, it’ll be too late.” We take Sir David’s message very seriously indeed, and once again this holiday season we are donating to good causes in the name of our customers and business partners. Instead of giving gifts, we are donating to two initiatives working to protect our planet and its natural resources – which are, after all, the thing closest to our heart.
Protecting the climate and health in Lesotho
This year, we enabled 200 families of wild rosehip collectors in Lesotho to acquire a clean, safe and efficient cooking stove. These stoves have contributed to a reduction in the deforestation that comes with chopping down trees for firewood. They also have a positive impact on the families’ carbon footprint and protect their health, as smoke from open fires is responsible for many eye problems and respiratory diseases. The innovative stoves include a solar panel, which functions as a renewable electricity source. The device provides enough power to easily charge cell phones, giving these families who usually live in very remote areas access to communication, information and education. In 2022 we will work with African Clean Energy to triple the number of cooking stoves so that a total of 600 families can benefit from the scheme. When the three-year project comes to an end in 2023 we hope to have equipped a total of 1,000 families in Lesotho with such a stove.
Sustainable education for German schoolchildren
In the name of our customers and business partners we are also supporting the German nationwide educational initiative WERTvoll macht Schule, which helps school students throughout Germany grow into responsible, self-confident young people. Its educational program, which it offers free of charge, conveys important values and skills in the areas of sustainability and environmental protection. The independent initiative has provided more than 22,000 school students with learning material that will help them develop important life skills.
We would like to thank all our business partners for the trust you have placed in us and your ongoing commitment to our company. With you as our partners, we will continue to work actively to protect our planet and teach future generations about the need for sustainable development – in 2022 and beyond.
For more information, visit:
ACE Home – African Clean Energy
Home – Wertvoll macht Schule (wertvoll-macht-schule.de)