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A landscaping company with a commitment to sustainability
Peter Rose Garten- und Landschaftsbau GmbH (in German) is setting a good example in the field of sustainability: the company has already taken part in the "Ökoprofit" project, signed the City of Münster's climate agreement and is now one of two pioneering companies to publish a comprehensive sustainability report in accordance with the German Sustainability Code (DNK) standard.
In an interview with the Bundesverband Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau e. V. (BGL), Managing Director Peter Rose talks about his reasons for running a sustainable company and the optimisation of operational processes, among other things.
What motivated you to dedicate yourself to the topic of sustainability in your company? Was there a decisive event?
Rose: The topic of sustainability has been with me for quite some time. Back in 2016, we successfully participated as a company in the "Ökoprofit" project sponsored by the NRW Ministry of the Environment. In February last year, I attended an information event (in German) organised by the Verband Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau NRW e. V. (VGL). There I met Mr Meinen and Mr Meyer from the management consultancy Kullmann und Meinen GmbH. Afterwards, Mr Meyer contacted me. He asked if I would be interested in drawing up a sustainability report. One thing led to another.
Photo: Peter Rose is Managing Director and owner of Peter Rose Garten- und Landschaftsbau GmbH. He is leading the way in the industry with his sustainable commitment.
Submitting a sustainability report is not yet mandatory for the gardening and landscaping industry. Why have you nevertheless decided to publish a sustainability report now?
Rose: The decision was based on the dialogue with the management consultancy. However, the preparation of the report also emphasises our corporate understanding of the importance of sustainability.
"We would like to take responsibility for our environment and lead by example."
By reporting transparently on our sustainability efforts, we are not only demonstrating our commitment to a sustainable future. We are also setting a positive standard for other companies in our industry.
How did you go about compiling the report?
Rose: It was important to me to involve colleagues from every area of the company. We organised a kind of internal workshop together. We identified internal and external stakeholders, collected data and carried out analyses. Also, we assessed our ecological footprint, social impact and the economic performance of our company's activities. Based on this, we were able to develop sustainability goals.
In which areas of gardening and landscaping do you see the greatest potential to be sustainable?
Rose: There are several areas that offer great potential for sustainability. For example, water management and plant selection and care. However, these factors are ultimately dependent on our public sector clients. The topic of waste avoidance is also very important to me. I pay a lot of attention to avoiding waste and reducing energy consumption during construction processes and try to optimise this continuously. Recycling various materials is also important to me. We have a screening machine. This allows us to reuse small quantities of soil.
And in contrast: In which operational areas is it more difficult to implement sustainable work processes?
Rose: I see particular difficulties in the procurement of materials and the disposal of waste. There are simply still too few solutions for this. Even if we are already tackling the issue of recycling, regulations such as the Mantelverordnung for substitute building materials and soil protection often throw a spanner in the works. For example, we also have to transport soil with low levels of contamination in order to store and dispose of it in accordance with regulations. There is room for improvement!
What organisational issues need to be considered when working on a sustainability report?
Rose: It's best to take the issue of sustainability into your own hands as the boss. Preparing and following up the report is the most time-consuming part. But you have to take this time. The management consultancy gave us a clear framework in terms of organisation and time planning. That was very valuable and took a lot of pressure off us. The duration of the process depends heavily on the size of the company, the complexity of the business activities and the availability of data. I estimate that, depending on these factors, you have to plan for several weeks to months.
"Responsibility towards the environment applies to all companies."
How would you like to promote the topic of sustainability in your company in the future? Is there anything else you are planning in the medium or long term?
Rose: We currently want to publicise the publication of our sustainability report in the media, for example with press reports. We want to be as transparent as possible here. After all, we also enter partnerships (in German) with other sustainability-oriented companies in order to maximise our impact. I will continue to devote particular attention to waste utilisation and recycling and offer further internal workshops on the topic of sustainability. We will regularly review and update our targets. This year, we also signed the City of Münster's climate agreement (in German).
In your opinion, which companies, particularly in the gardening and landscaping sector, should already be addressing the issue of sustainability in their own company structures?
Rose: Of course, efforts towards sustainable company management should be orientated towards the size of the company. But everyone can do something! Companies should be increasingly sensitised to the challenges of climate change and environmental protection.