The aim of the Action Days is to enhance visibility throughout Germany of real commitment that sets an example to others, to foster public awareness of the topic of sustainability and to inspire more people to undertake a commitment to sustainability. Every individual can help change things for the better. The Sustainability Action Days are thus addressed at private individuals, clubs, associations, initiatives, foundations, nursery schools, universities, churches, companies, social institutions, environmental and development associations, communities, municipal utilities, authorities, public offices and ministries.
Since 2015 the Sustainability Action Days have been held as part of the European Sustainable Development Week, which is an initiative founded by Germany, France and Austria in which people from all over Europe can participate.
German Sustainability Action Days 2019
The German Sustainability Action Days 2019 were a bigger success than ever. We would like to thank all those involved in trying to make the world a better place for their participation and their ongoing engagement. With a total of 3,248 events and initiatives, we were able to send a clear signal on behalf of more sustainability. That makes some 717 more initiatives than in the previous year and is a new record.
The majority of this year’s initiatives were located in Baden-Württemberg, where 2,028 sustainability events and initiatives were held. The regions North Rhine-Westphalia (192), Berlin (145) and Hesse (136) filled the subsequent ranks. We were additionally very pleased to note that all Länder contributed! The lion’s share of events and initiatives were held by associations (482 events and initiatives), followed by businesses (244 events and initiatives) and educational institutions (111 events and initiatives).
This year as well, the German Sustainability Action Days aimed to heighten awareness for implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A total of 2,227 events aimed at SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) were held, followed by 1,872 events for SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and 1,855 for SDG 13 (climate action).
The Action Days were again held this year as part of the European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW). With 6,640 initiatives in 27 European countries, a new record was set here as well. Germany occupied first place among the participating countries. Additional information on the ESDW can be found at www.esdw.eu.
A complete analysis of the German Sustainability Action Days 2019 is available for download as a PDF: “Daten & Fakten DAN 2019” (German only, 909 KB).