Werner & Mertz at Week of the Environment 2024

Mainz family-run company and species conservation organization protect orangutans and a wooded peat bog in Indonesia

At Week of the Environment in Schloss Bellevue Park on June 4 to 5, Werner & Mertz and the species conservation organization BOS (Borneo Orangutan Survival) presented their cooperative efforts for the long-term, sustainable renaturation of tropical peatlands in Indonesia. The detergent and cleaning products company of Mainz is convinced that true climate protection goes hand-in-hand with a commitment to the conservation of biological and species diversity.

In his opening speech, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke about making climate and species protection a common cause in Germany. The Innovation Exhibit for more extensive environmental protection shows that everything we need is on hand “to make our nation into a climate-neutral industrial and export country. A country in which we link climate protection with prosperity, quality of life and social fairness. A country that can be a role model for others—and thus contribute to climate protection around the world.”

Federal President Steinmeier and DBU (German Federal Environmental Foundation) issued invitations to Week of the Environment 2024. Along with about 190 other exhibitors from business and technology, research and science, and civil society, Werner & Mertz and BOS were selected to present forward-thinking solutions for shaping change responsibly. In advance, exhibitors were required to apply for a booth.

At their booth, the cooperation partners provided information about the joint project. In the Mawas region of Indonesia, BOS is devoted to the conservation of the important ecosystem there and to its sustainable, long-term renaturation. In addition to the previously used conventional methods, BOS—with support from Werner & Mertz—will supplement the assisted natural regeneration methods with natural seed dispersal from intact forests near the reforestation area. This particular innovative method has not yet been practiced in the region.

Some 12,000 guests visited the exhibit during Week of the Environment. “We had lots of   conversations at our booth. It is inspiring to see how many people—despite the challenges brought by climate change—look to the future optimistically and search for effective sustainable solutions,“ said Svenja Markert, Corporate Communications Werner & Mertz, about the  personal encounters at the innovation exhibit.