German foundations of the Foundations Platform F20 call upon the German government for an accelerated climate action in Germany
By Klaus Milke, Stiftung Zukunftsfähigkeit, F20 Chair
Mannheim, 6/6/2019: Many German foundations from the F20 partner circle attended the biggest gathering of foundations in Europe – the annual meeting of the Association of German Foundations (Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen) that took place in Mannheim, Germany, from 5-7 of June 2019.
With more than 2000 participants, this year’s StiftungsTag took place under the title „Our Democracy“. As their umbrella organisation, the Association of German Foundations is committed to enabling foundations to implement and realise their work and objectives more effectively, now and in the future. At the European level, the association cooperates with other national foundation associations (e.g. the DAFNE network), as well as with the European Foundation Centre (EFC). Since its inauguration, the F20 platform maintains good relations to the Association of German Foundations that comprises around 4000 German foundations.
One day before the annual meeting of the German Association of Foundations at the StiftungsTag, F20 successfully published a joint Call „German Foundations for Future“ on climate and sustainability (for press release please follow this link).
The Call was signed by eight key founders and foundations, including Michael Otto, Dietmar Hopp, Nathalie von Siemens, Klaus Milke from our Foundation and as Chair of F20, Michael Schaefer from the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, Alexander Bonde from Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) and Caio Koch-Weser from the European Climate Foundation. Due to the great attention the call received F20 invites further foundations to sign the call as well (please contact Klaus Milke / milke@stiftungzukunft.de).
Together these founders and foundations called upon the German government in Berlin to accelerate climate action and invited German foundations to join. Due to the positive feedback and the media attention the call received, it remains open for further German foundations to sign.
In addition, a positive debate on climate and sustainability at the StiftungsTag was initiated through the shaping of principles for good practice of operating foundations. As a result of this process, the 4000 member foundations agreed to do their utmost to implement the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda with its 17 SDGs to protect the livelihood of all.
Despite the focus on German foundations at the StiftungsTag, the F20 platform could also make the connection to the international level. Klaus Milke, the F20 chair, and Augustine Magolowondo from the South Africa F20 partner foundation Democracy Works participated a panel discussion on “Democracy and SDGs.
Signatories (to date, 24.06.2019):
Alexander Bonde, Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt Dietmar Hopp, Dietmar Hopp-Stiftung
Caio Koch-Weser, European Climate Foundation
Klaus Milke, Stiftung Zukunftsfähigkeit und Chair Foundations 20 Prof. Dr. Michael Otto, Umweltstiftung Michael Otto
Prof. Dr. Joachim Rogall, Robert Bosch Stiftung
Dr. Michael Schaefer, BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt
Dr. Nathalie von Siemens, Siemens-Stiftung
Dr. Carola Otterstedt, Stiftung Bündnis Mensch & Tier,
Matthias Willenbacher, 100 prozent erneuerbar stiftung
Michael Beier, Heinz Sielmann Stiftung
Alexandra Wandel, World Future Council
Bürgermeisterin Gerda Stuchlik, Stiftung WaldHaus Freiburg
