Sustainable development is the guiding principle for GIZ. But how can a company measure sustainability? Which aspects does it cover and how can these be made tangible? GIZ developed the Corporate Sustainability Handprint® (CSH) to enable projects and offices in Germany and abroad to do their work sustainably with a sharp focus on the future. Now the first report has been published.

CSH can measure the company's ecological footprint as well as the ‘handprint’, i.e. the positive contribution GIZ makes. The handprint illustrates the four sustainability dimensions: economic capability, ecological balance, political participation and social responsibility. The four dimensions are subdivided into a total of 14 critical fields of actions, upon which specific measures are based. Therefore, the motto of CSH is: Reduce your footprint, enlarge your handprint.

The first CSH report explains how CSH is used and presents the initial results of the 40 participating countries. In order to enlarge their handprint, countries try to procure more local equipment and materials or refit electronic devices in their offices, for example. Other measures include corporate health management such as opportunities to engage in sport, advice on nutrition and workplace design, or avoiding waste in everyday work and recycling. In total, the countries have committed to 450 specific improvement goals in order to improve their sustainability performance. Almost all participating countries have adopted the goals from CSH in their country specific annual plans. In this way, corporate sustainability is firmly anchored in daily business.

The report can be found at <link https: www.giz.de en downloads giz2016-en-csh_report_2014_15.pdf _blank external-link-new-window externen link in neuem>www.giz.de/en/downloads/giz2016-en-CSH_Report_2014_15.pdf