Lunz am See, June 2023 – A fantastic idea has at last become a reality: with RINGANA as its first participating company, the newly-founded Klimapartnerschaft.at (Climate Partnership) can finally start operations. The project entails returning 138.9 hectares to nature. To ensure that the initiative is on a solid technical footing, some strong partners have already been brought on board such as Austrian Federal Forests (ÖBf), the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna (BoKu) and the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE). The aim is to promote biodiversity, slow down climate change, and to set a new standard for climate conservation. This is a further step for the Styrian fresh skin care and food supplement manufacturer in completing its sustainability mosaic. It is also hoped that other medium-sized businesses can be motivated to join this partnership.
One of RINGANA’s reasons for initiating this partnership is to create awareness of how companies can take responsibility for a livable future. RINGANA is providing the funding to remove an area of 138.9 hectares directly adjoining the Wilderness Area from use over the long term. This will enable the usage pressure on the ecosystem to be reduced, and allow the primeval forest to develop its particular abilities.
An ecosystem that is made increasingly stable in this way can better defend itself against climate change. The natural forest that will be created will also be exceptionally good at removing CO2 from the atmosphere. This is a result that RINGANA will be able to factor into its CO2 balance as part of its sustainability strategy.
Why choose the Dürrenstein-Lassingtal Wilderness Area?
The Styrian medium-sized company consciously chose to partner with the Wilderness Area. Just as the company intends to grow economically over the long term, it also sets long-term benchmarks for the success of its sustainability activities. Against this backdrop, the last primeval forest in the foothills of the Alps plays a particularly important role. Framework conditions have been developed – far more stringent than the current market standard – aimed at targeted, long-term climate conservation and biodiversity protection.
“Emissions of harmful greenhouse gases do not only have to be avoided as much as possible. Within the scope of our sustainability strategy, we already strive every day to improve in this area. But those gases must also be removed from the already overloaded atmosphere. Natural forests can safely store them over the long term, with a resulting positive effect on the climate. That is precisely why we have established this climate partnership with the Wilderness Area and our strong partners,” says Ulla Wannemacher, General Manager and co-founder of RINGANA, explaining the reasons behind the project.
“There are already some projects in place. But none of those convinced us in terms of their effectiveness or transparency. What has always been crucial for us is to find a way of effectively combatting the climate crisis. We don’t just want to “be a part”, but also want to ensure that we are excellent here as well. This climate partnership is our next great milestone – it’s an enormous effort for us, but one in which we are glad to make a long-term investment,” stresses Andreas Wilfinger, CEO RINGANA.
Summary of the key points of the climate partnership:
1. Greater biodiversity. As a climate partner, RINGANA is providing significant funding which will allow an area of 138.9 hectares around the last primeval forest in the Alps to be removed from use over the long term, and returned to nature.
2. Climate conservation. Emissions from harmful greenhouse gases must not only be avoided as far as possible and reduced, but must also be removed from the already overloaded atmosphere. Specially protected natural forests can ensure the storage of those gases over the long term, with a corresponding positive effect on the climate. The climate-affecting added value of the forest area which RINGANA has allowed to be removed from use will be factored in as part of its CO2 offsetting within the scope of the company’s climate strategy.
3. New standard. Framework conditions – far more stringent than those currently used in the market – have been developed to achieve targeted and long-term climate conservation and biodiversity protection. The aim here is to establish the necessary climate conservation requirements.
With this climate partnership, RINGANA is making a long-term investment and will send out a signal to other medium-sized companies to get involved. Because only long-term, concerted action is effective.
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