TSG Hoffenheim supports the "Sports4Trees" campaign

At a video press conference, Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller welcomed the targets set by "Sports4Trees": "It's a great initiative. It has a simple message: don't wait, start doing something yourself. 22 million athletes have already gathered under the umbrella of Sports for Future. And many of them are already involved in climate protection, as sports clubs try to make themselves climate-neutral, support reforestation projects or offer sustainable merchandise. My Christmas wish would be for each of the 22 million athletes to plant a tree."

With the new "Sports4Trees" reforestation campaign (website: www.sports4trees.com), the Sports for Future initiative, which was launched in 2019 by the Dietmar Hopp Foundation, aims to show what the sports community can do to make a concrete contribution to the necessary change towards consistent climate protection and conservation of resources. The first tree-planting and education projects in Senegal, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Kenya are already being implemented with partners such as myclimate, the WWF or the Zenaga Foundation.

"We are the ones who are still able to avert a climate catastrophe. It is our duty to protect this planet for future generations," explained Dietmar Hopp, who attended the press conference. "The idea of using Sports for Future to tap into the possibilities that sport offers to win over as many helpers as possible to tackle the climate crisis – to turn several small impulses into a big driving force – immediately filled me with enthusiasm."

Stefan Wagner, who heads the "Corporate Development" department at TSG Hoffenheim and helped design the "TSG is movement" strategy for the future, said: "People can easily get involved in climate protection in their daily lives and support our reforestation projects: for example, by putting your change into one of our donation boxes at your local club, buying an online climate ticket, as TSG Hoffenheim already offers, organising sponsored runs and much more, as soon as this is all allowed again depending on the situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Clubs and sporting events can also use the campaign as a vehicle on the path to climate neutrality," said Stefan Wagner, who launched Sports for Future in the middle of last year, stressing: "For all this, we need a strong network of supporters."

The initiators of Sports for Future were TSG Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen, VfL Osnabrück, the German Sports Youth, Global United e.V., as well as  athletes such as the Olympic champions Fabian Hambüchen and Anni Friesinger-Postma. The now more than 250 supporters – most recently joined by the national hockey teams and the German Football Association – together represent more than 22 million athletes.

The Alliance for Development and Climate Foundation was founded by BMZ and is an important partner for companies, institutions and associations that voluntarily compensate for the CO2 emissions they release. TSG Hoffenheim joined the Alliance as one of the first partners and, in mid-2019, was one of the first football Bundesliga teams to achieve climate neutrality for all their activities. "Our support for Sport4Trees is a logical continuation of our comprehensive commitment to climate protection," said TSG Managing Director, Dr. Peter Görlich.