On course for green

Dear Entrepreneurs,

Everyone is talking about sustainability. Not just in all economic sectors – politicians and civil society also use the term all the time. And rightly so, because we all have to act, think and manage more sustainably. The reason for this is obvious. The climate crisis is now more evident than ever before, with one climate record after another being broken all over the world. The fact that the disasters it brings with it have already arrived here unfortunately became very apparent earlier this year with the devastating floods that affected large parts of Germany.

Resource-saving management is the key dogma, and that encompasses our whole way of life. Protecting the environment, reducing greenhouse gases and circular economy are just a few of the buzzwords that play into this topic. We hardly need mention that we all want a more sustainable future. But the crucial question is: how do we achieve it?

In this special issue of our magazine, we'd like to inspire you and show you what sustainable digitalisation could look like. Because digitalisation is, as our guest, Professor Dr. Tilmann Santarius, writes, "an efficiency machine". And therein lies an opportunity – but also a responsibility. In terms of Green IT, this means that digital technologies must be used with sense and in moderation, and not as an end in themselves. To Vodafone it is a matter of course that the company should lead by example. "We operate the largest green network in Europe and are proud to take on the pioneering role in Germany," confirms my colleague Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO of Vodafone Germany.

In order to reflect the diversity and complexity of the topic, we have divided this issue into five key thematic areas: Green Tech, Green Business, Green New Industry, Green Society and Green Future. We gathered perspectives from science, industry and society: from the renowned digitalisation and sustainability expert Professor Tilmann Santarius to tech blogger and pioneer Sascha Pallenberg to the "green" founder Anna Alex, whose company Planetly offers solutions for reducing carbon emissions. In the Green Business section you can find out how innovative companies are using climate change as an opportunity. Or read the chapter Green New Industry for how Vodafone applications are helping not only to make the world more digital, but also more sustainable. The chapters are all supplemented by infographics, illustrations and tutorials that explain the terminology, reveal connections and demonstrate solutions. And finally, listen to our Vodafone Business podcast "Digital Pioneers" to delve even deeper into the world and insights of our protagonists or take a look into the future with the bold visions of the festival for digital art Ars Electronica. 

Climate change is probably the greatest challenge facing humanity. The time to act is now. Because we only have the one planet, and there are still many generations to come that will want to live on it safely and contentedly. So let's set the course for this together!

I hope you enjoy reading.
Yours, Alexander Saul