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Cooperation with UNICEF, WWF, NABU, and Bergwaldprojekt

DEKRA strengthens its commitment to climate responsibility

Nov 05, 2025

DEKRA is breaking new ground in corporate climate responsibility: With the DEKRA Climate Impact Program, the expert organization is consistently focusing on measurable impact instead of purely accounting-based compensation in its 100th year of existence. In addition to internal decarbonization measures and CO₂ pricing, DEKRA specifically supports climate and nature conservation projects with recognized partners. These include the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the Bergwaldprojekt e.V.

Many companies' sustainability promises seem abstract to the public or are even perceived as "greenwashing." DEKRA takes a different approach: instead of relying on compensation-based neutrality promises, the company supports specific environmental and climate protection projects in Germany and around the world, among other things. "We are committed to the consistent decarbonization of the company. In addition, we take responsibility for our remaining greenhouse gas emissions and support projects with tangible impact for people and nature," says Wolfgang Linsenmaier, Chief Financial and Human Resources Officer and responsible for sustainability at DEKRA. "The DEKRA Climate Impact Program underscores our clear commitment to the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement: We are systematically reducing our own emissions, investing in renewable energies and resource efficiency, and specifically supporting concrete projects that strengthen both climate protection and adaptation to the consequences of climate change."

Internal decarbonization and external partnerships

The DEKRA Climate Impact Program, which DEKRA initiated in its anniversary year, is based on two pillars:
  • Internal decarbonization: The company is consistently pursuing the 1.5-degree emission reduction path. An internal CO₂ price links emissions to financial targets, creating targeted incentives to invest in emission reductions – for example, in fleet conversion, building efficiency, or renewable energies.
  • External projects: DEKRA does not offset remaining emissions with CO2 compensation certificates, but instead takes responsibility by directly supporting highly effective climate protection and adaptation projects. The effectiveness of the projects is regularly reviewed using clear indicators and documented transparently – based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Strong partners for effective climate protection

In order to effectively address the global challenges posed by climate change, DEKRA relies on cooperation with experienced and internationally recognized partner organizations. They contribute scientific expertise, regional roots, and many years of experience in the practical implementation of environmental and climate protection measures. Together, they pursue a holistic approach that encompasses both emission reduction and adaptation to the consequences of climate change. The projects range from moorland restoration and resilient water supply to the promotion of social participation, thus combining ecological impact with concrete benefits for local people.

Project partnerships at a glance

  • UNICEF: Supporting around 860,000 children and their families in Ethiopia and India with clean drinking water. Solar-powered pumps, modern treatment technologies, and local training strengthen resilience to droughts and climate impacts.
  • NABU: Rewetting and renaturation of moors in Germany, Finland, and England. Intact moors are highly effective CO₂ reservoirs and important habitats for endangered species.
  • WWF: Reforestation of riparian forests and protection of wetlands in the Brazilian Cerrado. The project combines carbon sequestration with biodiversity conservation and promotes initiatives in the field of seed production.
  • Bergwaldprojekt: Volunteer work in public areas, especially moorland renaturation in the Hunsrück (Germany). The goals are resilient ecosystems, long-term climate protection, and environmental education.

Responsibility with impact

With the DEKRA Climate Impact program, the company invests in projects whose ecological and social impact is clearly measurable. "With projects such as climate protection through moorland restoration or climate change adaptation through resilient access to drinking water, we are making concrete improvements – locally effective, globally significant," emphasizes Linsenmaier. "Climate responsibility only works if we act together. The projects implement and follow up on measures that really make a difference – for the environment and for the local people."
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