2023-05-25 20:30:26
Mr. Pianowski, together with Verena Kienel you manage the sustainability research of the fund company Ökoworld. The arbitrariness of the term sustainability causes serious damage to the reputation of the industry and accusations of greenwashing.
Rightly so. Anyone who claims that you can define sustainability as you like has no idea or something to hide. The scientific concept behind it offers some differentiations, but is by no means arbitrary. However, the financial industry likes to hide behind inappropriate definitions. The industry spreads the smokescreen because it is far from green, but finances everything that destroys our livelihoods and violates human rights.
What is sustainability for you?
The concept is simple and logical: We humans have to do business in such a way that the ecological limits of our planet are not overwhelmed and human rights apply. We are currently failing massively in all dimensions.
Can that be measured at all?
Breaking it down to more specific metrics isn’t particularly difficult. With a few exceptions, we have very reliable numbers and measurement results. Measurement problems are again such a myth of the industry and companies to have an excuse. Measure with sufficient accuracy to bring about correct decisions; we have been able to do that for a long time.
What are the right choices?
In our analysis at Ökoworld, we always first ask ourselves whether products are needed at all. Natural resources are limited and must be used wisely. Basic needs such as housing, security, food, health and mobility quickly come up. Then there is the question of how products are designed, whether they are resource-efficient, for example, recyclable and much more. Of course, people have to be mobile, but not with a combustion SUV. Finally, we go into the complex value chains and look at operational processes from an ecological and social point of view.
About the basic needs: everything else is a luxury and should be forbidden?
It’s not up to me to determine whether people need luxury. In any case, Ökoworld does not have to invest in it. What I personally can’t understand is that people don’t see doing without material things as a luxury, but as a limitation. For many people luxury is being healthy, having time, being free, having friends and family around, experiencing nature.
Every newborn is another consumer.
Children are not an environmental sin. We want human life in the world, otherwise we wouldn’t need to do all this. Climate protection is therefore the best form of human protection. It is important to decouple our economic activities, including production and consumption, from resource consumption. Nevertheless, I am glad that, according to the latest estimates, the peak could be reached at almost nine billion people worldwide.
Mathias Pianowski
:
Image: Ökoworld
How many companies in the Dax meet your requirements?
We invest globally. Of the more than 90,000 listed companies in the world, 15,000 to 20,000 are of interest to us purely in terms of trading volume. Around 1,500 of these companies meet our criteria. So we know from those that they aren’t breaking the world or at least are on a credible path that we can accept in quality and over time. There are a handful of companies in our universes in the Dax, for example Henkel.
Because detergents help the earth sustainably?
You have to wash, but please ecologically friendly. Henkel has been a pioneer in sustainability for 30 years, although not there yet. Detergents allow washing at low temperatures. Henkel is constantly developing its eco-design approaches and processes and has long established very good management systems.
Where do you get your data from?
#Mathias #Pianowski #green #washing #financial #sector