The European Climate Pact Pledge

We, the next-incubator, would like to contribute to protecting the climate and inspire others to follow. This is one of the main goals we want to achieve. Which is why we have joined the European Pathway Pledge through which we commit to defined goals.

Pathway Actions cover a wide spectrum of climate-friendly activities. They can represent a first commitment to protecting the climate, leading to more courageous steps for experienced players and to the definition of goals.

next incubator's pathway actions:

Emissions
The next-incubator undertakes to create an annual CO2 balance and to successively identify and implement measures to reduce emissions. This particularly includes promoting environmentally friendly mobility for employees, integrating ecological criteria as an important component in our supplier relationships, introducing zero-waste practices in the office and at events, and choosing exclusively vegan and vegetarian catering.

In an initial package of measures, the initial CO2 emissions were reduced by approximately 2% within 80 years compared to the baseline value of 2019 through several steps. The greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting included Scopes 1-3 according to the GHG Protocol and was conducted using the analysis tool from the start-up company klima.metrix. The largest reductions were achieved in business travel (Scope 3) as well as in electricity and heating (Scope 2). A positive contribution was certainly made by the increased (possibly primary) use of virtual meetings due to the COVID pandemic and the relocation of the entire team to a smaller and more energy-efficient office. The remaining emissions were offset through external CO2 reduction and removal projects, following the strictest offset standards such as the Gold Standard.

In the following years 2022 and 2023, data collection and quality were further increased and, in particular, the emission factors were adapted to the state of the art and the recommendations of the GHG Protocol (including WIOD instead of EUROSTAT data). Furthermore, the accounting tool from climatepartner was used. The current focus is now on reducing Scope 3 emissions, as well as initiating and evaluating climate protection measures or investments that lie outside our value chain (“beyond value chain mitigation”).

Energy goal
The goal for 2022 was to reduce the initial CO2 emissions in the energy sector by 10% compared to the baseline value of 2019, which was 4,28 tons of CO2e. In conjunction with changes to the office premises (relocation), a comprehensive package of measures was implemented to raise awareness and promote energy efficiency. For instance, the solution from the Canadian start-up ioAirFlow was used in a pilot project to analyze energy consumption and derive potential actions. The target was already achieved in 2021 with a reduction of approximately 25%.

Passing on knowledge
Hosting webinars, workshops, a podcast and various other formats on relevant sustainability topics to provide new inputs and views from external experts on various topics. These so-called “next skill sessions” are offered every 4-8 weeks with topics such as CO2 monitoring, climate protection projects or greening technologies.

Topics and focal points last year included sustainability in procurement, circular economy in the health sector, Sustainability Changemaker - apprentice program, Sustainability Inside, hackathons and challenges in cooperation with universities and various organizations.

Next skill sessions

What's Next - Video Podcast #1

What's Next Podcast #2

There is also an annual event on the subject of sustainability for and with business, organizations and science. The title of this event is 'Sustainability Inside':

In September 2023, we hosted our annual event “Sustainability Inside” with interactive workshops, panels, and inputs under the motto 'Innovation for an Inclusive Future'. Special attention was given to the topic of accessibility at this event. For instance, we had sign language interpreters on site, conducted an accessibility test of the location in advance, and actively involved people with disabilities not only by inviting them but also by including them in the planning and organization.

KPI's for evaluation
All projects are assessed according to ecological, economic and social impacts. This quantitative and qualitative assessment is carried out by an international group of experts (composed by the Finnish sustainability network SOLVED) with a focus on the greatest possible diversity (not only gender, but also geographical, personal and professional background). This score is an essential part of both the internal evaluation and the decision-making process for future projects.