The ASB Sustainability Team organises annual Sustainability Action Days at the national offices in Cologne and Berlin. The activities bring colleagues together, raise environmental awareness and make sustainability and climate action tangible. From building raised beds and repairing bicycles to collecting litter along and on the Spree, colleagues take practical action together and see what they can achieve.
Project Goals
Changing awareness and attitudes & raising awareness within the organisation
Expanding knowledge and skills
Recruiting members for the Green Team
Taking Action & Enabling Experiences
Focus Area
Climate
Environment & Nature
Workplace & Organisational Development
What gave you the courage to start?
We were motivated by the belief that we don’t have to wait for the perfect or big solution. We can start with small, concrete steps and make a difference together. After two years of working on sustainability in various areas, the Sustainability Team wanted to make sustainability and climate action more tangible in everyday work. The Action Days bring colleagues together, encourage participation and show what we can achieve as a community.
The Outcome
Various Action Days were held at the ASB national offices in Cologne and Berlin, including building raised beds, running a bicycle workshop and collecting litter along and on the Spree. Smaller activities, such as a plant swap, complemented the Action Days. Around 50 colleagues took part, supported by 5–10 members of the Sustainability Team who planned and prepared the activities.
The Impact
The Action Days make sustainability and climate action more tangible in everyday work. They raise awareness of what individuals and the organisation can achieve together, while encouraging exchange and networking. Their impact extends beyond the events: the raised beds are now a permanent part of the Cologne office garden, maintained by the caretakers and harvested by the kitchen team. Sustainability has thus become a tangible part of everyday work.
The Biggest Challenge
One challenge is engaging colleagues with different interests and levels of knowledge about sustainability and creating accessible opportunities for everyone to participate. The activities therefore needed to be diverse, practical and accessible to as many colleagues as possible, while also addressing topics that many encounter in their everyday lives.
The Biggest Learning
We learned that practical, hands-on activities are particularly effective in making sustainability and climate action tangible. Accessible activities provide a direct entry point and enable colleagues to get involved regardless of their prior knowledge. They not only raise awareness of environmental issues, but can also strengthen team spirit.
Most Enjoyed
What we enjoyed most was being active together and exchanging ideas with colleagues. It was especially rewarding to see activities such as building raised beds, the bicycle workshop and litter collection turn into shared experiences that motivated people to stay involved. The Action Days showed what we can achieve together and highlighted the ASB’s commitment to sustainability and climate action.