Open-Access Handbook Shows the Path to Climate Neutrality

How can companies systematically approach climate neutrality? Numerous steps are required, from the initial greenhouse gas inventory to the implementation of concrete mitigation measures. The practical handbook “Climate Neutrality in Companies” by the integrated management systems team (TIMS) at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences brings these steps together for the first time in a comprehensive roadmap and makes the insights and tools gained from practical project work available to other companies.

This practical guide covers everything from calculating and analyzing the carbon footprint to assessing climate risks and opportunities, and on to developing and implementing effective greenhouse gas reduction measures. Detailed real-world examples illustrate possible solutions and help companies and organizations adapt these approaches to their own specific circumstances.

Interest in this open-access publication is high: Since its release in April, the book and its individual chapters have been viewed approximately 20,000 times.

The handbook emerged from the “KMU Klima Deal” project , funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) . As part of this project, TIMS supported ten companies on their path to climate neutrality and developed an individual roadmap for each, with the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2045.

The project results demonstrate the potential this holds: If the planned climate targets and measures are fully implemented, the participating companies’ current greenhouse gas emissions—totaling 701,794 metric tons of CO₂ equivalents per year —could drop to 113,703 metric tons by 2045. This corresponds to a reduction of approximately 84 percent.

Dr. Jörg Lefévre of the German Federal Environmental Foundation, which provided financial support for both the project and the publication, assesses the significance of the handbook in light of current developments:

For TIMS, it was important not only to document the results but also to make them available to as wide an audience as possible. By publishing them as open access, companies, consultants, energy and climate management professionals, students, and other interested parties can access the tools and insights developed.

The connection between management systems, sustainability, and business practice also plays an important role in teaching at HSZG. Among other programs, the master’s program in integrated management systems builds on the topics covered in the handbook. In this way, insights from research and knowledge transfer are incorporated into the curriculum.

The practical handbook “Climate Neutrality in Companies” is available free of charge as an open-access publication from Springer.