Shopware is one of the first CO2 neutral IT companies

Schöppingen, 11 March 2019 – Shopware has been certified by Fokus Zukunft as one of the first CO₂ neutral IT companies. Through supporting a eucalyptus reforestation project in Uruguay, the approximately 300 tons of CO₂  produced annually by the company will be fully offset. During the same period, a third charging station was installed, which means that five e-vehicles can now be charged simultaneously at Shopware. 

Support from the sustainability consultancy Fokus Zukunft

As a sustainability consultant, Fokus Zukunft helps companies and private households offset their carbon footprint. The firm calculates annual CO₂ emissions and shows how these can be balanced with the support of various UN climate protection projects around the world. Gregory Endress of Fokus Zukunft has a concise description for our current situation: "Nature doesn't care. It doesn't need us and has the capability of regenerating itself. We need to help ourselves." Someday we will reach the point of no return, when global warming can no longer be stopped.

Offsetting the average CO₂ footprint per employee

On average, every person living in Germany consumes around ten tons of CO₂ per year. Each Shopware employee consumes around 2.3 tons of CO₂ per year during their work time, including the trip to and from the workplace. This figure was calculated on the basis of a questionnaire in which employees stated whether they drive a compact car, a mid-size car or a luxury car and how long their trip to and from work is. Other emission categories included heat consumption, waste production, and power consumption. CO₂ concentrations have increased by 40% since 1850 – verifiably because of fossil fuel combustion.

"We have a low carbon footprint in comparison with other companies. But we have been looking for ways to balance it out completely for a long time. Many of our employees have seen our efforts as an incentive to balance their own carbon footprint at home as well, which makes us very happy," explains Shopware press spokesman Wiljo Krechting.

Sustainability remains a central focus

Shopware is committed to reducing CO₂ amounts in-house, which results in increased sustainability in everyday life. Efforts include the use of Brita water dispensers with glass bottles for all employees, electric vehicles as company cars and timber-hybrid building construction. The third charging station on the Shopware site was recently inaugurated to support the plans of employees who want to switch to e-mobility. The eucalyptus reforestation project offers a great opportunity to compensate for the emissions that are unavoidable in our current times. Eucalyptus in particular is very useful, as its leaves can absorb twice as much carbon dioxide than those of other tree species.

Worldwide CO₂ emissions amount to 150 million tons a day and are still increasing. Nature can only absorb a small part of that, and the greenhouse effect is, therefore, worsening constantly.

Anyone interested in balancing their CO₂ footprint can find information and a range of UN climate projects here (German only).