Sociopolitical Projects

Climate neutrality requires nothing less than a fundamental transformation of almost all parts of society. The challenges are enormous for the economy and industry to implement this given the conditions governing global competitiveness. To meet the Paris climate targets, nothing short of an industrial revolution is required and must be implemented in less than 25 years on a globally successful scale. This is the most ambitious target of the Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft (Climate Economy Foundation) that Michael Otto founded in 2007, initially as Initiative 2° – German Entrepreneurs for Climate Protection. Today, Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft is an initiative pursued by board members, managing directors and entrepreneurs of family-run businesses who are actively committed to meeting European and German climate targets. Ambitious climate protection and competitive business should not be a contradiction. Instead, these objectives should be the driving force behind industrial and societal modernization projects that will not only secure sustainable jobs, but also prosperity and our future, while making us resilient.

Present and future challenges can only be addressed through an interdisciplinary approach – compartmentalized thinking has proven less helpful. This was the logic behind the World Future Council, founded by Jacob von Uexküll in 2007. Michael Otto provided start-up financing to help set it up and establish Hamburg as the center for the World Future Council. On the Board of Trustees, experts from a very wide range of disciplines – economics, science, politics, civil society and culture – exchange ideas with the aim of overcoming the lack global activity that is preventing humankind’s sustainable and peaceful future, and to open up new paths.