Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft

Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft (Climate Economy Foundation) is a German business foundation that brings together chief executives, managing directors and family business owners to promote long-term corporate engagement in climate protection. It operates as a CEO initiative, meaning the leaders of its supporting companies participate directly in its activities and personally identify with its goals. The foundation describes its mission as building bridges between business and politics so that ambitious climate protection and competitive economic activity are not seen as contradictory. It works across industries and is explicitly party-independent. The organisation was originally known as Stiftung 2° – Deutsche Unternehmer für Klimaschutz, named after the earlier climate policy goal of limiting average global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. It adopted its current name, Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft, in November 2021. Its stated aim is to support policymakers in establishing market-based framework conditions for climate protection and to activate the problem-solving expertise of German entrepreneurs. The foundation is governed by a board of trustees (Kuratorium), a presidium and an executive board. Michael Otto serves as chairman of both the board of trustees and the presidium. Sabine Nallinger became executive director on 1 September 2014, succeeding Max Schön, who stepped down for family reasons in autumn 2014. Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft is active in public dialogue and cooperation projects. It has launched several high-profile appeals and initiatives, including the 2015 initiative "Auf dem Weg in die 2°-Wirtschaft", a 2020 call signed by 68 German companies to link coronavirus economic recovery aid to climate protection conditions, and a January 2024 appeal with more than 60 German companies describing the transformation to climate neutrality as an opportunity for Germany as a business location. In March 2026 it met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin to discuss planning security, fewer transformation hurdles and green lead markets for climate-neutral products. Its supporters include companies such as Messer SE & Co. KGaA, whose CEO Peter Mohnen is quoted on the foundation's website.

Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft was originally established as Stiftung 2° – Deutsche Unternehmer für Klimaschutz, named after the two-degree climate target. It is an initiative of chief executives, managing directors and family business owners who advocate for long-term corporate engagement in climate protection. The foundation's purpose is to support policymakers in establishing market-based framework conditions for climate protection and to activate the problem-solving expertise of German entrepreneurs. The foundation is governed by a board of trustees (Kuratorium), a presidium and an executive board. Michael Otto is chairman of both the board of trustees and the presidium. Max Schön served as executive director until autumn 2014, when he stepped down for family reasons. Sabine Nallinger, a former Munich city councillor and 2014 Munich mayoral candidate, became executive director on 1 September 2014. In 2015 the foundation launched the initiative "Auf dem Weg in die 2°-Wirtschaft", calling on policymakers to anchor ambitious climate targets in the upper end of the target corridor. Under this initiative, the foundation's supporting companies implemented examples of decarbonisation in their respective industries. For the Paris Climate Conference (COP 21), the foundation supported, alongside the Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für Umweltbewusstes Management and the development and environmental organisation Germanwatch, the declaration "Paris macht die globale Energiewende unumkehrbar" by 35 large and medium-sized companies. With this declaration, the signatories encouraged the German government to tighten measures to meet the German 40 percent climate target by 2020, adopt an ambitious Climate Action Plan 2050 and initiate a comprehensive transport transition. On 27 April 2020, the foundation published a call signed by 68 German companies to link possible economic stimulus aid after the coronavirus crisis to climate protection conditions and investments, and to maintain existing climate policy measures and the European Commission's Green Deal. According to Handelsblatt, the call was significant because it was signed by companies from very different industries, including both DAX corporations and medium-sized businesses. In November 2021, the foundation changed its name from Stiftung 2° to Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft. On 27 January 2024, it launched an appeal with more than 60 German companies. In the appeal, the signatories described the transformation to climate neutrality as a clear opportunity to make Germany as a business location fit for the future. They argued that long-term investments in the transformation require a reliable framework, which could only be achieved with a cross-party and cross-legislative transformation consensus. The consensus would need to include solutions for competitive energy prices, further development of the debt brake, faster digitalisation of administration, incentives for private investment and social acceptance of the transformation. In March 2026, the foundation met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. At the meeting, the foundation made clear that climate policy in the current geopolitical situation is an important driver of competitiveness, innovation and economic resilience. To enable companies to continue on this path, the foundation advocated for more planning security on the way to climate neutrality, fewer transformation hurdles in procedures and regulations, and green lead markets for climate-neutral products so that climate-friendly basic materials and technologies can reach the market faster. The foundation also initiated a letter from an alliance of associations calling on the German government to stop planned cuts to the Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF). Its 11th Annual Conference is scheduled for 5 November 2026.

• Sabine Nallinger becomes executive director, succeeding Max Schön.

• Launch of the initiative "Auf dem Weg in die 2°-Wirtschaft".

• Support for the COP 21 declaration "Paris macht die globale Energiewende unumkehrbar" by 35 companies.

• Publication of a call signed by 68 German companies to link coronavirus recovery aid to climate protection.

• Renamed from Stiftung 2° to Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft.

• Appeal with over 60 German companies for a cross-party transformation consensus.

• Meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin.

• 11th Annual Conference of Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft.

Cross-sector, party-independent CEO initiative building bridges between business and politics for ambitious climate protection.

1. 1Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft official websiteklimawirtschaft.org
2. 2Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft on German Wikipediade.wikipedia.org