“Klima” EVERYWHERE!!!!

I think now I start to understand why Germany could became the leader of sustainability in the world.

On the day I just landed and went out to purchase SIM card at Vodafone, surprisingly I saw a word “Klimaneutral” on their advertising board. With the help of translation from Professor Wong, I realized the prefix, Klima, means climate.

After searching online, I noticed that “[b]y 2030, Vodafone will achieve net zero emissions from [their] own operations — including [their] direct emissions and emissions from the energy [they] purchase”. Indeed, in other countries there are also a lot of companies which seem have nothing to do with the climate change make commitment to reduce emissions, but I am so surprised that Vodafone printed the word “Klimaneutral” on their advertising board. On one hand, it would definitely help with their brand advertisement; on the other hand, printing out and showing this word over and over again could reinforce customers’ memorization to this word as well as the idea of climate change.

Not just in Vodafone, the prefix is at every corner! A lot of companies and stores printed word such as “klimaneutral”, “klimawandel (climate change)”, etc. German people are seeing these words easily everyday because companies include and implement spreading the idea of sustainability as a part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Another interesting experience I had is Pfand. Although we’ve learned in class already about the concept, it still feels so difference while I truly put my collected bottles at the Pfandstation. It is extremely ubiquitous, simple, and convenient that it encourages the citizens to recycle every bottle to the maximum extent. Anyone could recycle anywhere and anytime.

In general, the awareness of climate change and the carry-out of recycling have already become a part of German people’s common sense. I believe as I stay longer, I would be able to find more examples.