The Climate Pledge
In light of increasing extreme weather events and rising global temperatures, sustainable action is becoming ever more important across all industries. One initiative driving this change is The Climate Pledge, which has been joined by numerous leading companies worldwide.
What is The Climate Pledge?
The Climate Pledge is a global initiative calling on companies to reduce their carbon footprint with a clear goal: climate neutrality by 2040, ten years earlier than stipulated in the Paris Agreement. The initiative was founded in 2019 by Amazon together with the environmental organization Global Optimism. Its foundation was the recognition that the private sector must play a central role in tackling the climate crisis. Today, The Climate Pledge has over 560 signatories worldwide (as of May 2025), including international market leaders in technology, construction, transport, the food industry, and finance.
All members share the ambition to move beyond symbolic gestures and bring about measurable change and concrete results. By signing The Climate Pledge, companies commit themselves to three core principles:
Transparency: Regular measurement and disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions to ensure progress is trackable.
Emission Reduction: Concrete measures to prevent emissions through efficiency improvements, renewable energy, material innovation, sustainable supply chains, and mobility solutions.
Offsetting Unavoidable Emissions: Investment in high-quality CO2 offsetting projects such as reforestation, peatland restoration, or innovative carbon removal technologies to actually achieve net zero.
What does WBRE have to do with The Climate Pledge?
We strongly believe that sustainable construction is key to future-proof urban development. As the construction sector contributes significantly to CO2 emissions worldwide, we see it as our responsibility to actively contribute to the climate transition through our projects.
Sustainability is firmly anchored in our corporate DNA. At WBRE, we rely on certified sustainable building methods according to standards such as DGNB, LEED, or BREEAM, the use of resource-efficient materials and intelligent building technologies, energy-efficient solutions and renewable energy sources, and the promotion of holistic living and working environments that bring people and nature into balance. For us, sustainability is not an add-on but a prerequisite for every project – economically viable, ecologically necessary, and socially responsible.
WBRE’s goal is to integrate sustainability and the individual sustainability strategies of its clients as early as possible in every project. WBRE actively supports the client-appointed planners, recommend eco-friendly materials, clearly define sustainability criteria, and integrate them into tender documents. This creates a solid foundation to ensure sustainable aspects are considered from the outset. In subsequent project phases, WBRE places great emphasis on the careful selection of suitable partners and service providers – with a particular focus in the final stage on contracting local companies in order to ensure resource-efficient and economically sound implementation. Inspired by initiatives such as The Climate Pledge and driven by our own convictions, we at WBRE shape projects that not only impress today but will also stand the test of time in the long term, for our clients, our cities, and our planet. Because we are convinced that responsible project management means thinking ahead today for tomorrow.
ISO 14001 environmental management standard
In addition to aligning with global sustainability initiatives such as The Climate Pledge, WBRE is certified under ISO 14001, the internationally recognized standard for environmental management systems. This certification confirms that we systematically and continuously work to improve our environmental performance, minimize environmental impact, and comply with both regulatory and voluntary environmental requirements. The core principle of ISO 14001 is the integration of environmental considerations into corporate decision making, embedding sustainable practices within organizational processes. For WBRE, this means that environmental objectives are not only pursued internally but are actively incorporated into our projects. This includes resource-efficient processes, the use of low-emission materials, targeted waste reduction, and measures to improve energy efficiency. In this way, WBRE ensures that environmental responsibility is not only part of our corporate strategy but is also applied in a measurable and practical way across every project.
Why is sustainability so important?
According to scientific consensus, the global economy must become climate neutral by mid-century at the latest in order to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C, a threshold beyond which irreversible ecological and economic damage is expected. The Climate Pledge turns this urgency into its guiding principle and demonstrates that ambitious climate action can go hand in hand with economic strength. The signatories rely not only on external regulation but on their own initiative, innovative strength, and responsibility.