Find the programme here.

Five years after the flood disaster in July 2021, it is time for a critical review of disaster research in German-speaking countries: What insights have been gained from the scientific analysis of the flood, and what questions remain unanswered? Which regions and topics have been well researched, and which have been neglected? How can the (ecological, social, and institutional) transformations accelerated by the flood be recorded and sustainably shaped in certain regions? And what role does disaster research play in a time of multiple crises?

Our conference is fully booked, but we can offer an online participation for the largest panels/presentations. You can register for the webinars here.

Der Beitrag Conference 2026: 5 years after the flood erschien zuerst auf Thinking Circular.

The terrible flood disaster in Valencia in 2024 led to political consequences on November 3, 2025. Conservative Prime Minister Mazón announced his resignation after the journalist with whom he had a business lunch on the day of the flood testified in court that Mazón had been constantly texting on his cell phone. All of this and the head of government’s responsibility are being examined in court. Mazón had previously claimed that his cell phone had been turned off during the meal. This statement seems to prove that he lied, and he has already admitted in the media that he was overwhelmed. But what does this mean for a new government that can only take action after a new election?

Valencia faces numerous challenges in making the region more resilient after the devastating floods of 2024. In addition to urgently improving crisis preparedness and warning systems, cooperation with scientific networks and civil society must also be intensified in order to find more effective long-term solutions.

Networking the flood regions of the Ahr Valley and Valencia

The newspaper Las Provincias visited us in the summer on the anniversary of the 2021 floods in the Ahr Valley and a specialist conference. Their film documentary summarizes how they see the challenges in comparison between the regions. They emphasize that without compassion for those affected, no solutions can be found, neither on the Ahr nor in Valencia. We would like to express our special thanks to Jorge Alacid López, the editor-in-chief, and Amalia Yusta Gamez for the excellent documentary. We highly recommend the film.

Civil society actors will certainly now be measuring the candidates’ positions on concrete measures in the election campaign. We would therefore like to summarize here what is important in order to help the region.

Improvement of crisis preparedness and warning systems

• Response to failed warnings: The massive criticism of the delayed and ineffective warning system in October 2024 requires a complete overhaul of the system.
• Improved communication: Delays between the issuance of meteorological warnings and the actual notification of the population must be eliminated. A fast and direct warning system for mobile phones (ES-Alert) must function reliably and be able to be triggered immediately in case of danger.
• Strengthening infrastructure: The expansion of more effective urban drainage systems, dams, and retention basins is necessary to mitigate future flash floods. Water needs space, and this must be provided.
• Stricter building regulations: In view of the damage caused by unregulated development in flood areas, building regulations must be tightened and stricter development plans enforced.

Involvement of science and civil society

• Coordination with researchers: The government must draw on the expertise of climate scientists, hydrologists, and disaster management experts to conduct risk assessments and develop prevention strategies.
• Public awareness and education: The population, especially in the most vulnerable areas, must be better informed about the risks and rules of conduct in emergencies.
• Involving civil society groups in planning: The experience and knowledge of civil society groups, which are often the first on the scene, should be incorporated into disaster management planning.
• Strengthening volunteers and organizations: Organizations such as the Red Cross must receive the necessary support in emergencies to be able to provide better first aid and longer-term recovery assistance.
• Promoting community resilience: Educational initiatives and regular drills can strengthen people’s sense of personal responsibility and improve their ability to help themselves.

Building long-term resilience

• Holistic approach: A comprehensive, cross-departmental approach that takes into account the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health is crucial to counteracting the effects of extreme weather events.
• Psychological support: Providing psychological assistance to flood victims and long-term recovery plans are crucial for the mental resilience of the community.
• Overcoming political division: Effective cooperation between the regional government and the Spanish central government is essential to avoid delays and confusion in the event of a disaster.

For further reading, we recommend the PERC study by the Zurich Foundation, which lists the necessities in a scientifically sound manner. It can now serve as a questionnaire in the election campaign.

Photo by Las Provincias, Iván Arlandis

Der Beitrag One year after DANA erschien zuerst auf Thinking Circular.

Thinking Circular® is pleased to be providing the “Deep Dive Circular Economy” workshop in the second module of the training.

The requirements of sustainability regulation are an opportunity for companies and organizations to position themselves resiliently for the future. The BIGL training course addresses precisely this potential: going beyond the mere fulfillment of reporting obligations, we prepare supervisory board members for the confident management and monitoring of the current transformation processes towards a sustainable economy.

What the program offers you:
· You will learn from and with sustainability pioneers!
· You will develop an understanding of global developments that have led to the sustainability policy that you are currently dealing with on the supervisory board.
· You will acquire comprehensive knowledge of the systematics and content of sustainability regulations that affect companies: from disclosure requirements to prescribed climate scenario analyses.
You will gain a comprehensive understanding of potential corporate risks arising from current systemic crises (ecosystem crises, social crises, political crises).
You will learn about the success factors of good sustainable governance and how to implement them efficiently.
You will be inspired by companies that have already successfully embarked on transition paths.
You will develop on a personal level and gain skills in dealing with high complexity and potential conflicts of interest.
You will develop best practices and reflect on challenges in a trusting exchange with a maximum of 15-18 participants.
After completing the training, you will receive a certificate of advanced training.

The program is funded by the Mercator Foundation.

A virtual information event will provide insights into the training program:
Tuesday, February 11, 12-12.45 p.m.
Informal registration is possible via office@bigl.org

More Information.

Flyer of the training.

Der Beitrag Training in sustainability skills for supervisory boards: Good Sustainable Corporate Governance erschien zuerst auf Thinking Circular.

International norms and standards can play a central role in the fight against climate change and in adapting to it. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has therefore revised not only its central standard for the environmental management system ISO 14001, but also the standards for many other management systems, including the important ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001. The aim of the ISO is to put the issue of climate change even higher on the agenda of certified organizations to recognize possible effects from the environment on the organization or possible effects of the organization on the environment at an early stage, to evaluate these opportunities and risks and to address them systematically, and thus ultimately to strengthen the resilience of the organization.

What was the initial idea?

Climate change is confronting the world with ever-increasing challenges. Organizations are already feeling the effects today: local extreme weather events such as heat waves, storms, floods or fires are becoming more frequent and endangering the health of employees, facilities and materials. Employees suffer from high temperatures and make more mistakes. The supply of raw materials is becoming less secure in some cases and planning reliability is decreasing. Demand for water, including for cooling, is increasing, as are costs. The energy supply has to be converted, and new and stricter legal and contractual requirements are being issued. Market expectations shift, sometimes steadily, sometimes immediately.

However, climate change as a driver of sustainable transformation also offers opportunities: disruptive business ideas are being developed and replacing old ones. New, promising products and services are entering the market, and market priorities and expectations are changing permanently.

What specifically has been changed?

In all relevant standards, chapters 4.1. and 4.2 have always required organizations to know their interested parties and to regularly consider the extent to which they can influence the effectiveness of their management system.
These previous requirements have now been supplemented: in the context analysis, organizations must in future systematically consider the effects of climate change. This must be done holistically, i.e. taking into account all interested parties and all processes, as well as specifically for the industry, products, locations, etc.

When does the change take effect?

The update has already taken place in 2024. Since this is not a lengthy change to the various existing standards, but rather an addition, the requirement already applies today. This means that auditors are already checking whether and how the organization has taken into account the effects of climate change as part of the surveillance and certification audits.

What does this mean for companies?

Consider the impacts of climate change on your organization and address them systematically and holistically. Identify and reduce risks, take advantage of opportunities, and make your organization resilient and future-ready.

How should you proceed?

The management representatives, as the central coordinators, should first get top management on board, inform them of the formal changes, and establish a regular process for this together.

A broad group of experts should systematically work through the possible opportunities and risks, i.e. first identify them, then evaluate and prioritize them, and, if necessary, take action. It is important to put oneself in the shoes of all relevant stakeholders in order not to overlook any points.

The key questions are:

• What strategic opportunities arise for the organization as a result of climate change? Where are its particular competencies and strengths in demand? What can be done to mitigate climate change or increase resilience within the organization, among customers, consumers or certain other social groups?
• What negative effects can climate change have on the organization? What dangers exist? How must the organization adapt? Which processes, products or services must be secured?

After the first phase, the identification of opportunities and risks, these must be individually evaluated and prioritized; usually semi-quantitatively and considering the two dimensions

• probability of occurrence and
• the severity of the impact if it occurs.

The opportunities and risks identified as relevant are then assigned specific measures and processed systematically. It is important to note that this analysis cannot be a one-time effort, but must be repeated regularly because both the organization and its environment can change: opportunities and risks can develop, assessments can be adjusted, and measures taken can be effective or ineffective.

Do you have any general questions regarding this new ISO requirement? Do you require support in identifying and managing your opportunities and risks? Are you looking for help in determining and following up meaningful corrective and preventive measures? Are you wondering how this can be combined with other legal requirements?

The competent and experienced Thinking Circular® team is ready to assist you.

By: Dr. Thomas Jagella

Der Beitrag Climate change: Opportunity and risk assessments are now a mandatory part of the ISO standards erschien zuerst auf Thinking Circular.

The CSRD, CSDDD and the EU Taxonomy are key instruments for promoting sustainable business. They set out the key issues and define the indicators that must be reported on. However, the rules are not consistent in themselves and the scale of the indicators is too large. Companies groan under the excessive demands and consultants provide information with different focuses. So how do you deal with a reporting rule that is in flux? This report focuses on a solution that can be easily integrated into reporting as a software module. You can read about what it is and what it can do here:

As a leading software provider for sustainability reporting, Cubemos now offers a new EU Taxonomy Module. Cubemos has developed a new, innovative module specifically for taxonomy. This tool enables companies to design their reporting efficiently and in compliance with the new requirements of the EU taxonomy. Take advantage of this opportunity now, with Cubemos at your side, to position your company sustainably!

Basis of the EU taxonomy

The EU taxonomy is a set of rules of the European Union that identifies economic activities that are considered environmentally sustainable. Introduced by Regulation (EU) 2020/852, the taxonomy sets out clear criteria by which economic activities can be classified as environmentally sustainable. It was developed to provide investors with clear criteria for making sustainable investment decisions. The taxonomy contains criteria that determine which activities make a positive contribution to environmental goals.

Objectives and motivation behind the EU Taxonomy

The EU Taxonomy was introduced as part of the European Green Deal and the Action Plan on Financing Sustainable Growth. Its aim is to channel capital flows into sustainable projects in order to achieve the EU’s climate targets and increase market transparency. This should also help to prevent greenwashing and ensure that only truly sustainable investments are designated as such.

The EU taxonomy is driven by a variety of motives, including combating climate change, protecting the environment, strengthening economic competitiveness and meeting international commitments such as the Paris Climate Agreement. It supports the EU in achieving its ambitious climate targets, preserving biodiversity, reducing pollution and using natural resources sustainably. At the same time, it is intended to help channel capital flows into sustainable investments, promote green technologies and innovations and create sustainable jobs.

Focus on environmental objectives: the six core areas

The EU taxonomy focuses on six key environmental objectives:
1. Climate protection: Measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. This includes investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable transportation solutions.
2. Climate change adaptation: strategies for dealing with the consequences of climate change. This includes increasing the resilience of the economy and society to the unavoidable effects of climate change. Examples include projects to improve infrastructure and disaster prevention.
3.Sustainable use of water resources: protection and sustainable use of water resources, including improving water quality and efficient water use in agriculture and industry.
4. Transition to a circular economy: promoting recycling and waste minimization through reuse of resources and other innovative processes for more efficient use of resources. This promotes sustainable production and consumption.
5. Pollution prevention: Measures to reduce pollutant emissions. They aim to prevent or significantly reduce pollution of air, water and soil. This includes technologies to limit emissions and environmentally friendly production methods.
6. Protection of ecosystems and biodiversity: conservation and restoration of natural habitats and biodiversity. This includes protected areas, reforestation projects and sustainable land use practices.

Quelle: BMWK – Sustainable Finance-Taxonomie

Do no significant harm

A central element of the EU taxonomy is the principle of “Do No Significant Harm” (DNSH). This ensures that an economic activity that makes a significant contribution to one of the above-mentioned environmental objectives must not cause significant harm (Do No Significant Harm), i.e. must not have a significant negative impact on other environmental objectives.

Mandatory nature and timeframe of the EU taxonomy

The EU taxonomy will be mandatory for large companies covered by the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) and for financial market participants. From 2022 or 2023, these players will have to assess their activities according to the criteria of the EU Taxonomy and disclose how their investments contribute to environmental objectives. This applies in particular to companies in the energy, transportation, real estate and raw materials sectors.

Reporting obligations: Turnover, CapEx and OpEx

Companies must provide detailed information on the following indicators as part of the EU Taxonomy:
1. Turnover refers to a company’s total revenue from ordinary activities. In the context of the EU taxonomy, companies must indicate the proportion of their turnover that comes from sustainable economic activities.
2 CapEx (Capital Expenditures) refers to funds spent on the acquisition, improvement or maintenance of physical assets. Companies must report what proportion of their capital expenditure is spent on sustainable projects and assets.
3 OpEx (Operational Expenditures) are operating expenses that include the ongoing costs of maintaining day-to-day operations. According to the EU taxonomy, companies must indicate what proportion of this expenditure is used for sustainable activities.

This reporting enables investors and other stakeholders to better assess a company’s sustainability performance and make informed decisions.

Why companies should act now

This all sounds like a lot of effort. However, companies that adapt to the requirements of the EU taxonomy at an early stage will benefit from several advantages:
– Market leadership: early adaptation to sustainable practices gives companies a competitive advantage.
– Building trust: Transparent reporting strengthens the trust of investors, customers and other stakeholders.
– Risk minimization: Early compliance reduces the risk of sanctions and reputational damage.
– Contribution to global goals: Companies make an active contribution to achieving European and global sustainability goals.

Conclusion: The future relevance of the EU taxonomy

The EU taxonomy is more than just a regulatory instrument. It offers companies the opportunity to position themselves in a growing market for sustainable investments and to further develop their sustainability strategy. By implementing the taxonomy, companies can not only meet legal requirements, but also realize and benefit from economic and environmental advantages in the long term.

Cubemos offers the ideal tool to make this topic easy to implement with its new EU taxonomy module. Take the opportunity to integrate sustainable practices into your reporting and business strategy!

Sources:

• EU Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance: Technic Report – Taxonomy: Final report of the Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance
• ELS Europe: Do No Significant Harm Handbook
• Europäische Kommission: EU Taxonomy Navigator
• BMWK: Sustainable Finance-Taxonomie
• EU Taxonomy Info: EU Taxonomie Grundlagen
• Wirtschaftsprüferkammer: EU Taxonomie-Verordnung

Der Beitrag Omnibus procedure erschien zuerst auf Thinking Circular.

Staatssekretär Michael Hauer, MKUEM

Overall, Stefan Müllers noted that the Environmental Learning School+ has developed extremely well since the coronavirus break. The number of staff is fully utilised, the capacity of the premises could be utilised even more, but overall, with around 2,500 children, young people and adults benefiting from this educational offer, the expectations of what is possible have been met. Christian Hofeditz emphasised that the training events organised with the climate protection managers from the district in particular went very well and could even be offered several times.

Eveline Lemke, former Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection for the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and herself based in the district with her consultancy Thinking Circular®, prepared and moderated the event. Her lifeblood is closely linked to the Umweltlernschule+ organisation, as she was able to present the EU funding for the facility at the time. Today, she is also a volunteer environmental lecturer for the adult education centre. Reflection with her colleagues is therefore a matter close to her heart. As is the development of the circular economy, for example in soil management.

Soil and construction waste management cluster initiative offers solutions

Markus Becker, Büro für Ingenieur- und Tiefbau GmbH, Eveline Lemke, Thinking Circular®

Solution steps were identified here. For example, the problem of the temporary storage of soil and building rubble, of which an estimated one million cubic metres still need to be moved in the Ahr valley for construction purposes. Markus Becker from Berthold Becker Büro für Ingenieur- und Tiefbau GmbH was the first to present the current status of the district’s soil and building rubble cluster. His office organises the cluster initiative. In the future, large construction projects such as the construction of flood defences will be an opportunity to reuse the large quantities of construction waste. So how can it be possible to store these masses temporarily rather than lorry them out of the valley first? State Secretary Michael Hauer from the State Ministry of the Environment promised that the establishment of interim storage facilities could be discussed once a calculation of the quantities to be stored had been submitted. He was happy to come to Niederzissen to the Environmental Learning Centre+ to discuss the further development of climate protection measures with those involved. The parties involved in land management were delighted to hear this news and will get to work on obtaining estimates or precise calculations of the quantities required for planned activities.

The presentation of Markus Becker’s lecture (in German) can be found here.

Recommendations from the KAHRS project

Prof. Dr. Lothar Kirschbauer, Hochschule Koblenz, KAHRS

Prof. Dr. Lothar Kirschbauer presented the results of the KAHR project and ten recommendations. He specifically addressed the recommendation to create more space for the Ahr and to strengthen inter-municipal cooperation. He also specifically recommended the installation of automatic flood bulkheads, the installation of pressurised water-proof wall ducts and the installation of house connections above the flood level.

The presentation of Prof Dr Lothar Kirschbauer’s lecture (in German) can be found here.

Policy(s) and economy(ies) with a future

Prof Reinhard Loske presents his theory on economics with a future. As a former environmental senator for the state of Bremen, member of the Bundestag and President of the Cusanus University of Applied Sciences in Koblenz, the transfer of theoretical knowledge into practical activities is close to his heart. His insights into the benefits of cooperation and good communication were confirmed by those present.

Prof. Dr. Reinhard Loske, Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaftler und Autor

The presentation of Prof Dr Reinhard Loske’s lecture can be found here.

At the end of the day’s event, it was clear to the network of environmental educators at the event that the abundance of tasks and the high fluctuation of people working and living in the Ahr Valley can only be tackled by everyone together and with solidarity, and that further educational programmes can be provided that can help in this area. The participants then agreed to continue to drive this forward.

Der Beitrag Sustainability, climate adaptation and resilience in reconstruction three years after the flood in the Ahr valley erschien zuerst auf Thinking Circular.

Our assessment of the software is both differentiated and clear:

Code Gaia offers a self-learning reporting software that is supposed to be able to adjust the materiality analysis in real time. We think this is an interesting feature, but we doubt whether it actually helps with strategic decisions. Strategic processes require a company-internal dynamic and cognitive processes of all those involved. A strategy can only be successfully implemented if it is understood and wanted. An AI can certainly mirror what data an organization has in a sustainability working group, but it does not save the organization from having to go through the knowledge process.

Green Vision Solutions offers wonderful online seminars, mostly free of charge. Here, interested parties can familiarize themselves with the greenhouse gas protocol and the determination of double materiality. Cubemos also currently offers training courses on this topic. Unfortunately, however, Green Vision Solutions does not have a combined solution that also makes it possible to create the report automatically.

We only find this at Cubemos, including the processing of data from the stakeholder analysis, which changes the materiality matrix in real time. This is an informative rounding-off for the reporters and those responsible for the project, as it optimally reflects the feedback from the stakeholders. We have therefore used Cubemos ourselves with customers and are enthusiastic about the powerful platform, which also enables project management.

We would also like to point out that it is advisable to contact experienced sustainability consultants for certain elements of your own sustainability journey. They will quickly help you through the seemingly complicated data collection process and advise you on the data situation. This will give you an outside perspective and neutral assessment, which should also help you move forward.

The software presented is currently undergoing further development by all providers, and prices are also dynamic. It is a good idea to send us a price inquiry.

Der Beitrag Sustainability report with the right software erschien zuerst auf Thinking Circular.

People who have enjoyed traveling in Scandinavia or Canada, perhaps even on Route 66 through America, can well imagine this. They follow an idea of experiencing a journey full of adventure and at the same time having freedom in their decisions. Who wouldn’t like that? The mindset of many start-up project participants can be described well with this metaphor. Attributes such as risk and danger are less common in this illusion of adventure. Nevertheless, assessing dangers is the essence of good travel preparation. However, this also applies to every journey in an innovation project, especially if they are circular.

The Competence Center for the Creative Industries of the federal government in Berlin has identified 5 risky projects from more than 100 applications. Over the past few months, they have had the opportunity to further develop their prototyping and challenges in an accompanied form. We met at the Impact Hub in Berlin Neu-Kölln to look over their shoulders. As a member of the jury, I was also asked to provide the future entrepreneurs with inspiration for their future work and to show them how they can minimize risks and seize opportunities so that their journey into the future is safe.

You can find the Risky Projects here.

Complexity is a challenge

Actors who set out to create projects in an economy of cycles take longer paths than the simple invention of linear products requires. After all, organizing external effects is not a trivial matter, but above all a complex one. I would like to go into this in more detail, because in this agile world it is important to keep your bearings, otherwise the journey described above will come to nothing.

So first a few words about complexity, which we are not trained to deal with and yet we are given all the characteristics by nature to deal with it. The complexity is huge simply because of the diversity of materials, liquids and gases that are permitted in our economic cycles and are combined in the value chain. Over 2000 substances are registered in the European Chemicals Registration and Authorization Agency REACH, and each of these substances can be combined with others to create a product.

The complexity is further compounded by interests. And the interests in terms of sustainability are also diverse. The 17 sustainability goals alone give us an agenda of interests to consider, which already lists around 2.400 KPIs (Key Progress Indicators). And each of these indicators can theoretically be jeopardized by an activity.

How can players even keep their bearings here?

My tip: stick to the metaphor of the journey on the road.

The left-hand side of the guard rails is the moral field of the circular economy, which consists of its principles and strategies. These include the cradle-to-cradle principle, the RE strategies (Reuse, Refurbish, Repair, Recycle), the RESOLVE principle (RE strategies + Solve + Optimise (Effectiveness) + Close the Loop + Virtualize + Exchange).

On the right-hand side of the guard rails are the 17 sustainability targets and their 2,400 KPIs, as adopted in October 2023 in accordance with the EU Commission’s ESRS (Environmental Social Regulation Standards).

The intersection, in a sense the synergy to be identified, is the impact that a risky project defines for itself. This consists of the problem described and the solution to it. The demarcation to morals and interests is and remains the definition of the price of one’s own actions in every project. There is no project without an environmental impact. Everything has an impact. In essence, however, a negative impact should be prevented and existing negative characteristics reduced, and in the best case a positive impact developed. This is a matter of decision. The decision is made by the project participants and investors themselves. Everyone knows that it is possible to choose a path with a negative environmental impact. How can a course of sustainability be maintained?

My questions to the innovators and their companions are therefore always aimed at two main points, which they can use to answer this question themselves:

1. have risks been sufficiently identified? Was there a sufficient scan from the perspective of the stakeholders of the entire value chain to recognize the interests of the competition, established linear players in the market, politics or science?
2. what are the main barriers that need to be overcome?

The answers to these questions are the navigation on the road to a circular future.

Der Beitrag Business between morals and interests erschien zuerst auf Thinking Circular.

And  the new beginning of human existence.

The current farmers’ protests in Germany show once again that climate protection is being pitted against the protection of human interests, such as the basic supply of food. And of course we know the arguments we use to promote climate-friendly agriculture and animal welfare. Nevertheless, the argument that climate protection is not human protection subtly catches on. So there is reason to explore this metaphor. Because only if we understand why the supposed opposition between nature and culture (humans as cultural beings) is so effective can we begin to give it an appropriate response. To do this, we can look to the bestselling author Philipp Blom. In “The Subjugation”, Blom has taken a look at the major shift in the paradigm of human domination over nature that has been documented for over 3500 years of culture . As a historian and philosopher based in Vienna, he takes us on a 368-page journey through history to explore the paradigm of “human domination”, which in the global North is often linked to the Bible’s Genesis 1:28 with God’s call for us to multiply and subdue the earth, not least with our way of doing business. Blom shows us that we also find this understanding in other world religions and cultures. And it brings with it mechanisms that should lead to a cleansing of those who think differently. He describes the “ethic clensing mechanism” and derives from it the great cognitive difficulties of not thinking systemic connections, climate change and nature as such in conflict with our culture as a result of new scientific findings.

The wonderful argumentative derivation that ONLY the belief or conviction in the dominance of man on earth could lead to a lasting conflict between nature and culture then somehow relieved me. As a politician, especially as Green Minister for Economic Affairs, I have been repeatedly confronted with the arguments that I would not be acting in a humane manner if nature and climate issues were prioritized. The tremendous force and the entanglement of this argument always amazed me. It shocks and leaves me completely stunned. However, Blom helps me to better understand the cultural programming of this human hubris. This is the only way we can confront it.

One aid is to remember Humboldt and his life’s work, whose task was to describe the world as a whole and to grasp his work as a cosmos. This brings us to systems thinking, systems analysis or systems management, and we can ask ourselves which system we ourselves embody? Blom succinctly summarizes that our body is also just a “symbiotic biological event horizon with an inner puppet theater” that replaces the old Adam. He thus describes how our “experiencing self” is just a body determined by billions of microorganisms with their own genetics. The question of whether our experience, our consciousness and our horizon of desire and pleasure or pain is only one aspect of the symbiosis of many thousands of species almost answers the cultural goal of the hubris of human domination. For this demands eternal life.

The realization of this impossibility has a price. The price of the radical thinking of man as a being that is inescapably entangled with the existence of all other living beings on this planet. Blom does not write that freedom is therefore perhaps only an illusion. But the question is unspoken on the table.

The description of the human image of Homo Circularis, which could provide an answer to the understanding with which we like to live, probably in the knowledge of being unfree, points us in the right direction. We would therefore like to refer to it once again:

Homo Circularis – an evolution

Circular consumption – what distinguishes prosumers from stewards

Der Beitrag Literature tip – The subjugation by Philipp Blom erschien zuerst auf Thinking Circular.

How do you implement circular economy projects? How do you design your company in a timely and sustainable manner? Climate protection, climate adaptation and the circular economy are not fiction for you, but reality, but you are looking for helpful practical tips and tricks to implement your business idea, or a sound background with which you can get your employees in the mood for your project? Then you’ve come to the right place, because that’s why we built the Thinking Circular® Academy.

It enables you and your employees or stakeholders to learn independently, flexibly, self-directed and interactively at your own pace. At the end of the course, you will receive a certificate describing the content covered, the scope of the course and the achievement of the course objective. If you wish to define specific course content or objectives with us, we will adapt and build your individual learning program for your target group.

Curious? Click here to go directly to the courses in German.

Click here to hear our Podcast about the Academy in German.

Der Beitrag Thinking Circular® Academy erschien zuerst auf Thinking Circular.