As part of the “KMU Klima Deal” project, funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU), TIMS has supported ten companies on their path to climate neutrality. An individualized roadmap was developed for each company with the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2045.

If the climate targets and measures planned by the companies are fully implemented, current greenhouse gas emissions—totaling 701,794 metric tons of CO₂ equivalents per year —can be reduced to 113,703 metric tons of CO₂ equivalents per year by 2045. This corresponds to a reduction of approximately 84 percent.

Especially given today’s economic and social conditions, the transition to a climate-neutral economy requires courage, determination, and a well-founded strategy. To support companies and organizations in the concrete planning and implementation of effective measures, TIMS has compiled its expertise and insights from practical project work into the practical handbook “Climate Neutrality in Companies.”

For the first time, the handbook brings together all the essential steps on the path to climate neutrality in a comprehensive, practice-oriented roadmap: from calculating and analyzing the carbon footprint, through assessing climate risks and opportunities, to developing and implementing effective greenhouse gas reduction measures. In doing so, it provides clear guidance in a complex field. Detailed practical examples illustrate possible solutions and help readers adapt the approaches described to their own organizations.

Dr. Jörg Lefévre of the German Federal Environmental Foundation, which provided financial support for both the project and the publication, summarizes the value of the handbook in his foreword as follows:

“Unlike at the start of the project in 2021, sustainability and ESG issues are currently receiving less attention. This makes it all the more important to highlight the additional opportunities offered by the agreed-upon transformation process. This book provides guidance and tools that small and medium-sized enterprises can use to chart their own path to climate neutrality: step by step, tailored to their capabilities and resources. The book explains how to develop a greenhouse gas inventory, how to identify risks and opportunities, and how to derive effective measures and goals from these insights.”

It was particularly important to TIMS to publish the practical handbook as open access. This ensures that everyone who is embarking on the path to climate neutrality—or who wishes to support companies in doing so—has free and unrestricted access to the insights and tools developed.

Usage figures to date confirm the high level of interest: Since its publication in April, the handbook has already been downloaded more than 1,600 times. This gives reason to hope that it will become an important guide for all those who are assisting companies on their path to climate neutrality or who wish to engage more deeply with the topic—including executive boards, management representatives, energy and climate management specialists, consultants, and students.