Fourth D°GREES Symposium in Hamburg: Five Years of Collaboration on Corporate Decarbonization

24. September 2025

Foto: CLICCS B4

From September 3–5, 2025, the fourth D°GREES Symposium brought together academic partners and company representatives in Hamburg to reflect on five years of collaboration and to discuss the future of corporate decarbonization. This three-day event, part of the DFG-funded CLICCS project, brought together participants from Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States for three days of insights, dialogue, and networking. The project tracks the climate strategies of 20 companies across five countries, making the symposium both a reflection point and an outlook for the next phase of work.

Research insights meet practical experiences

The symposium opened with a welcome by Prof. Dr. Anita Engels and a keynote from Prof. Dr. Johanna Baehr, who explored the far-reaching consequences of global warming on weather extremes, economies, and societies. Afterwards, Dr. Matthew Johnson presented a summary of the project’s research findings to date. The program then shifted to discussions on the role of corporate climate initiatives. Prof. Dr. Timo Busch examined the current state of external initiatives, highlighting existing pitfalls and their potential relevance for future decarbonization efforts. Brigitte Frank then analyzed corporate climate transition plans and their role in creating credibility for climate targets. These inputs sparked lively exchanges among participants, with company representatives sharing experiences and perspectives in networking sessions.

Discussing future challenges

The second day focused on the evolving context for corporate climate action. Prof. Dr. Achim Oberg, Daniel Gotthardt, and Lars Feuerlein showed how public climate discourse influences corporate responses. Following, Prof. Dr. Alexander Bassen outlined upcoming revisions to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and their implications for companies' carbon accounting practices. In an interactive session, company representatives reflected on their achievements and challenges over the past five years and provided input on the next phase of the CLICCS II project, which was introduced by Prof. Dr. Oberg. The day closed with remarks from Prof. Dr. Busch and a joint dinner in Hamburg’s Town Hall, which gave participants additional space for informal exchange.

Industry perspectives in focus

On the final day, the participants left the seminar room for a practical experience at Aurubis, one of the world’s largest copper recycling companies. A presentation on the company’s decarbonization journey, followed by a guided plant tour, offered up-close insights into the technological innovations and organizational challenges of reducing emissions in heavy industry.

Strengthening collaboration

Throughout the symposium, participants emphasized the value of bridging academic perspectives with corporate practice. The discussions not only highlighted the complexity of corporate decarbonization but also underlined the strong commitment of all partners to continue working together in the years ahead.

The D°GREES team warmly thanks all participants of the 2025 Symposium and looks forward to deepening this collaboration in the years ahead!