Impulse #11: Looking ahead

"The ENGIE Deutschland team wishes you happy holidays and a healthy start to the new year 2022!"

2021 is on the home stretch. Christmas is just around the corner - and I'm looking forward to the peace and contemplation this time brings. Traditionally, the end of the year is a time to take a look back and recap the past few months. For all of us, 2021 was - again - an extraordinary year. The Corona pandemic still has the world firmly in its grip; currently perhaps stronger than ever. This makes it all the more important for me personally to reflect on the beautiful moments that shaped this year. And I am glad and grateful that I can remember a whole bundle of positive experiences.

Focus on climate neutrality

At ENGIE Deutschland, 2021 was all about climate neutrality. We pushed ahead with our "The Real Zero" strategy. In recent months, we have felt more strongly than ever before that sustainability and climate protection have changed from a niche topic to a focal point for politics, business and society. I expressly welcome this development - because yes, I have said it many times and never tire of repeating it: We must now take action to counteract climate change. At ENGIE Deutschland, we are ready to help organizations from every business sector and of every size - from corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises - achieve their climate goals: With "The Real Zero" concept, our team has developed a concrete master plan with which we reliably accompany your company in reducing CO2 emissions - all the way to "real zero". Please contact our experts if you would like us to accompany you on the transformation path.

Projects for the future

On a business level, 2021 was a successful year overall for ENGIE Deutschland. I am proud that our colleagues in all business areas were able to convince existing and new customers of our services and solutions and that we initiated and implemented very exciting projects. Examples include the first CO2-free electricity supply contract in Europe with Google and the "Das neue Gartenfeld" model district in Berlin-Spandau - both large-scale, future-oriented projects with an impact that extends beyond their respective locations. And I would also like to mention our involvement in FAIR, one of the world's largest and most complex construction projects for top international research, and the many groundbreaking successes of our cooling specialists at ENGIE Refrigeration. One of our most important internal projects was the launch of our new website with completely new texts and a fresh design. There you can now, for example, find specific information about services for your sector, such as industry or data centers, as well as about current market topics from energy efficiency to climate neutrality to smart city. Take a look and let yourself be inspired!

With confidence and courage into the new year

Dear readers, on a private level, the flood disaster in July 2021 in Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria was a life-changing event for me. The many losses and the damage continue to shape the regions to this day - and probably will for a long time to come. My thoughts are still with the victims and those affected, and I will use the time between the years to meet as many relatives and acquaintances as possible in the vicinity of my home town, as far as the current Corona situation and associated contact restrictions allow. I am still overwhelmed by the phenomenal willingness to help - especially the commitment of so many young people - in the disaster area. I take this enormous solidarity with me as a central momentum from this year. I see it as an important sign of hope, so that we can look forward to the new year with confidence and courage.

I wish you the same confidence for tomorrow and the courage to tackle the challenges of 2022. Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones and start the new year well and, above all, healthy - I look forward to continuing to work with you and to exchanging ideas with you!

Sincerely

Yours, Manfred Schmitz
CEO ENGIE Deutschland