Wussten Sie, dass in der Industrie 10 % aller entsorgten Produkte und Materialien eigentlich wiederverwendbar sind und somit nicht hätten entsorgt werden müssen? ReUse and Trade hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, der unnötigen Ressourcenentsorgung ein Ende zu setzen und Industrieunternehmen eine einfache und finanziell attraktive Lösung zu bieten, indem sie den Lebenszyklus von wiederverwendbaren Produkten und Materialien durch vermehrten Handel verlängern und so zu einem nachhaltigeren, ressourceneffizienten und kohlenstoffarmen Wirtschaften beitragen. Auf der Plattform verkaufen Unternehmen nicht mehr benötigte Produkte und Materialien direkt an andere Unternehmen oder Privatkunden, was zu finanziellen und ökologischen Vorteilen für beide führt. Während die Verkäufer also einen Gewinn erzielen, indem sie ihre nicht mehr benötigten Ressourcen wiederverwenden, anstatt sie gegen eine Gebühr zu recyceln, können die Käufer ihre benötigten Materialien in der Regel zu einem niedrigeren Preis als auf dem Markt erwerben. Im Gegenzug verbessert sich der ökologische Fußabdruck der Produkte durch die längere Nutzung. Dombrowski erklärt, dass ReUse and Trade trotz der aktuellen Gefahr, dass nachhaltiges Verhalten aufgrund der Pandemie in Vergessenheit gerät, sehr positiv in die Zukunft der Green Economy blickt. Ihrer Meinung nach wird die Begrünung von Unternehmen ein langfristiger Trend werden, der innovative nachhaltige Ideen sowie "cradle to cradle" - kontinuierliche Materialkreisläufe und positiv definierte Materialien, die gesund für Mensch und Umwelt sind - fördert. Das in Deutschland ansässige Unternehmen verfolgt das langfristige Ziel, Europas größter Marktplatz für wiederverwendbare Produkte und Materialien zu werden. Sektor: Dienstleistungen Gründungsjahr: 2019 Umsatzerlöse: / (Start-up mit Potenzial) Anzahl der Mitarbeiter: 4
Reverse Resources ist eine SaaS-Plattform für große globale Modemarken und hochwertige Textil-zu-Textil-Recycler, die bei der Steuerung und Rückverfolgung von Textilabfallmaterialien von der Quelle bis zum Recycling zusammenarbeiten. Die Vision des Unternehmens ist es, dabei zu helfen, die von der globalen Modeindustrie verwendeten Neumaterialien durch recycelte Materialien zu ersetzen, die aus den Abfällen der Modeindustrie selbst hergestellt werden. RR arbeitet mit einigen der größten globalen Modemarken (z.B. Bestseller, H&M Group, OVS, Bershka, etc.) zusammen, um sie dabei zu unterstützen, ihre Bekleidungsfabriken zu ermutigen, ihre Abfälle zu trennen und richtige Abfall-zu-Recycling-Lieferketten einzurichten. So können die recycelten Materialien von denselben Modemarken wiederverwendet werden. Ann Runnel verrät, dass Green Economy eindeutig der heißeste Trend des Augenblicks ist, mit einer Art Goldrausch-Wahn. Außerdem gibt es einen starken Bedarf an Nachhaltigkeit und Kreislaufwirtschaft: "Wenn Sie Nachhaltigkeit und Kreislaufwirtschaft noch nicht in die Kerngeschäftsstrategie und den Fokus Ihres Unternehmens integriert haben, werden Sie höchstwahrscheinlich in den nächsten 5 Jahren den Wettbewerbsvorteil Ihres Unternehmens verlieren. Es ist gerade dabei, Teil des Mainstream-Geschäfts zu werden". Schließlich verfolgt Reverse Resources selbst ehrgeizige Projekte, wie die Circular Fashion Partnership in Zusammenarbeit mit der Global Fashion Agenda und dem BGMEA. Während in der aktuellen Projektphase monatlich etwa 100 Tonnen Sekundärtextilien recycelt werden, sollen bis 2026 200.000 Tonnen pro Monat erreicht werden. Sektor: Textilien Jahr der Gründung: 2014 Anzahl der Mitarbeiter: 11 Globales Netzwerk: 40 Recycler, 7 Abfallverwerter, 945 Hersteller
Fusebox unterstützt Länder dabei, die Qualität des Stroms auf dem richtigen Niveau zu halten und Blackouts zu vermeiden, während es den Staaten hilft, mehr erneuerbare Erzeugung in ihr Stromnetz zu integrieren. Das Unternehmen ist eine Plattform, auf der sich Verbraucher zu einem virtuellen Kraftwerk zusammenschließen, das in dem jeweiligen Land Dienstleistungen erbringt und Einnahmen und CO2-Einsparungen für seine Teilnehmer generiert. Fusebox hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, die effektivste Energieverwaltungs- und Handelsplattform der Welt zu sein, die Organisationen dabei unterstützt, auf verschiedene Weise zur Reduzierung von CO2-Emissionen beizutragen, indem sie so viele Stromverbraucher wie möglich miteinander verbindet. Das Ergebnis des virtuellen Kraftwerks von Fusebox hat direkte Vorteile für diejenigen, die daran angeschlossen sind. Alle angeschlossenen Unternehmen bekämpfen in gewisser Weise den Klimawandel, indem sie ihre elektrische Flexibilität als Ersatz für Generatoren mit fossilen Brennstoffen anbieten. Je mehr Flexibilität in jedem Land genutzt wird, desto mehr erneuerbare Energien können hinzugefügt und Verschmutzer eliminiert werden. Diese Entwicklung bringt auch insgesamt positive sozioökonomische Effekte (z. B. niedrigere Übertragungstarife, niedrigere Strompreise usw.) in jedem Land, in dem sie tätig sind. Im Jahr 2021 weitet Fusebox seine Aktivitäten auf Polen, Deutschland, Schweden und Finnland aus und arbeitet darüber hinaus an Innovationsprojekten mit einigen europäischen Städten, um mehr Stromverbraucher dazu zu bewegen, ihre Flexibilität online zu stellen. Sektor: Energie Gründungsjahr: 2014 Umsatz: 2020 - 100 000 EUR; 2021 voraussichtlich - 400 000 EUR Anzahl der Mitarbeiter: 5 Export: Aktiv in Estland, Lettland, Litauen und Finnland; Einstieg 2021 in Polen, Deutschland und Schweden
Ursula von der Leyen has not shied away from big words. “We give our best when we are bold and aim high. With the European Green Deal, we are aiming high”, the European Commission President said when unveiling her highly anticipated flagship environmental plan for the first time in December 2019 that will made climate action a key priority for the EU. The main goal is to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050. But what does this actually mean? Baltic Business Quarterly has compiled the most important facts about the EU’s headline project. What is the European Green Deal all about? The Green Deal is the EU’s new strategy for sustainable growth and aims to create the framework for transitioning to a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. It covers every aspect of society and the economy, and includes goals for biodiversity and agriculture. The measures accompanied with the initial roadmap of key policies range from ambitiously reducing emissions to investing in green technologies and protecting the natural environment. "On the one hand, the European Green Deal is about cutting emissions, while, on the other hand, it also means creating jobs and boosting innovation", von der Leyen said. "Our goal is to reconcile the economy with our planet, to reconcile the way we produce and consume with our planet, and to make it work for our people.” Ultimately, the European Green Deal demands a new economic model, a completely different Europe and a new generation project for a climate-friendly transformation of the whole continent. Unsurprisingly, this has received both support and criticism from all sides. During the coronavirus pandemic, the Green Deal has taken a back seat, but the EU commission stresses that it should form a cornerstone of recovery measures. How does the EU plan to achieve climate neutrality? To pave the way, the EU plans to implement a legally binding European climate protection law this year to enshrine into law the goal for Europe to become climate-neutral by 2050. This means achieving net zero carbon emissions for EU countries as a whole. As an intermediate target, the EU is to cut its carbon emissions by 2030 by at least 55% below the 1990 levels. The entire EU legislation is to be aligned with these goals and implemented by a combination of incentives, support measures and regulations. It will include strategies for biodiversity, agriculture, hydrogen, building renovation, offshore wind energy, methane pollution, sustainable investment, the circular economy and many more parts of the world’s second-largest economy. Once these new rules come into effect, pressure will be on the 27 EU member states to actually bring them to life. The political wrangling over them will start when the EU commission presents its legislation in summer 2021 on how to meet the proposed 2030 emission reduction target of 55%. At present, the EU target is a 40% reduction of carbon emissions. "If we can get the legislation in place in the next five years, we will have 25 years as a generation left to get it all implemented", said EU Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans, who is responsible for the European Green Deal. No action is not an option. What does this mean for the European economy? To achieve climate-neutrality, radical changes will be required. ENERGY: The production and use of energy across economic sectors account for more than 75% of the EU’s carbon emissions. BUILDINGS: Commercial and residential buildings account for 40% of the energy consumed in the EU. MOBILITY: A growing 25% of the EU’s carbon emissions are generated by transportation. INDUSTRY: Industry accounts for 20% of the EU’s carbon emission and only 12% of the materials it uses are recycled. All of these emissions have to flatline in only three decades by switching to clean technologies, and also a climate-friendly transformation of agriculture is on the to-do list. Other elements include greener, cleaner cities, better home insulation and massive reforestation. Von der Leyen compared the required efforts with the US program for the moon landing in the 1960s and spoke of “Europe's ‘man on the moon' moment”. As the EU executive emphasized, “We will help our economy to be a global leader by moving first and moving fast. The European Green Deal is our new growth strategy – it is a strategy for growth that gives more back than it takes away.” How much will it cost and who will pay for it? Meeting the ambitious goal of the European Green Deal will require huge investment. The current 2030 carbon emissions target is estimated to require an additional €260 billion in spending every year. That is about 1.5 percentage points of the EU’s GDP in 2018. Achieving the new proposed 2030 stepping stone on the way to 2050 – a 55% cut in emissions compared to 1990 levels – will involve even higher investment needs. Beyond 2030, the annual investment needs also run into the billions, but the presented figures are vague. To implement its climate goals, the EU commission plans to channel upfront investments into projects that will see the EU emissions fall drastically in the next decades. It aims to mobilize and leverage at least €1 trillion over ten years for a ‘green investment wave’ in clean technologies, sustainable solutions and new businesses. Around half of the projected sum is to come from EU funds, which should encourage national governments and the private sector to stump up the remainder. One of the main EU investment components is the so-called Just Transition Mechanism. It will support those regions in Europe that rely heavily on very carbon intensive activities. The funding worth €100 billion will be available for all EU member states. Extract from the article by Alexander Welscher, exclusively for Baltic Business Quarterly Summer 2021 Read more in the newest issue here
The Lithuanian unicorn Vinted has a very big ambition to make second-hand the first choice. In the last 13 years, the company has achieved a great deal and the start-up is the biggest player in many countries, but so much more awaits. In 2008, Milda Mitkute was moving from Kaunas to Vilnius and realised she had too many clothes to take with her. Justas Janauskas offered to help and built a website to give away her clothes to friends. Now, not only their friends are using the Vinted platform, but so too are 38 million people around the world. Milda Mitkute tells BBQ readers more about working for the start-up, the concept of second-hand as a greener choice in fashion consumption, and her own dilemma of choosing between ethical, lower-quality clothes and long-lasting leather boots. It is hard to imagine another big Baltic start-up that is so deeply rooted in Germany as Vinted. How did that happen? Actually, by accident. Me and another co-founder Justas Janauskas were huge fans of CouchSurfing. Once, two German women, Sophie and Suzanne, came to his apartment to stay for a longer period, like one or two weeks. One night at 2 a.m. they came home after a party and Justas was coding. They asked what he was doing. He explained and they said: we need to have that in Germany! We didn’t have the money for that but they didn’t care because they believed it was an absolute must for Germany. So they volunteered to help. This was how we agreed. How successful is Vinted now in Germany? I believe we are really successful in Germany. It's growing, and the community is getting bigger and more involved there. 8 million people have already joined. Germany is the second biggest market for us after France. What would be your advice to other start-ups who are thinking about Germany? How should they prepare for this market? There are a few things. One is common for any country. The second might be more specific for Germany. Speaking about the first, I think it's always worth checking if your idea looks attractive to other people – maybe others don't share the same views as you and it will not get enough support. In business terms, make sure you see a product-market match. Secondly, we found that Germany was a role model for how to do business. It seems Germany is always ahead in terms of how to deal with privacy issues and legal matters. There are many things to learn. The country has very high standards and it encourages you to do your best. How did the Covid-19 pandemic impact Vinted’s business and daily operations? I think the majority of online businesses haven't suffered from the lockdown as much as the offline ones. People still want to look good and many of them have a guilty pleasure about buying something for themselves. If physical shops are closed, people will go online. So for us, it was an obvious benefit. However, at the very beginning we were also affected because nobody understood what was happening. It took us a couple of weeks to work out what was actually going on, especially last March. The beginning was so sudden and strange. There were no predictions on when life would be back to normal, but all in all online business is not suffering as much as bricks-and-mortar businesses. Extract from the interview by Anda Asere, exclusively for Baltic Business Quarterly Summer 2021 Read more in the newest issue here