interview

"In the past, we were pioneers and market leaders.
We see our future role as an enabler."

We spoke to Stephan Mahnecke, Managing Director of Rent.Group Berlin, and Christian Eichenberger, CEO of Rent.Group, about why sustainability works particularly effectively with a circular economy and about the pioneering role the company plays in this.

Everyone is talking about sustainability. Sure, everyone wants to save humanity. But what does sustainability mean for a logistics company in the event industry?

Stephan Mahnecke: Let me take transportation as an example. We save up to 55 percent of truck journeys and therefore also these emissions. How do we achieve this? We have developed our own transport trolley system. This allows us to load goods in a form-fitting manner and compress the volume on the vehicle. This means that the goods can be easily stacked thanks to their modularity, allowing us to make the best possible use of the space in the truck. As a result, we drive the 3.5 million kilometers that our trucks cover each year 55 percent more efficiently than companies that load conventionally. To transport the same amount of goods, it would be necessary to drive 7.6 million kilometers without our adjustments. The extra kilometers cause additional emissions of 3.6 million kilograms of_CO2. To put that in metaphorical terms: This corresponds to the amount of_CO2 emitted by around 700 households in a year. Or: A car could circle the earth 190 times. This is a significant contribution to environmental protection - and only through our volume optimization.

We also pay attention to the latest vehicle technology in order to reduce fuel consumption. We also deliberately have a wide range of vehicle sizes. This means we can always use the right vehicle for the volume ordered by the customer. This avoids empty kilometers.

You have developed a catalog of criteria for sustainability. Why did you do this?

Christian Eichenberger: It is important for us that our customers, partners and we internally have the same idea of sustainability and the circular economy. The catalog of criteria provides clear definitions. We have developed this together with external experts based on existing sustainability standards. We also ensure that this catalog of criteria is always up to date with the latest scientific findings.
This is because it ensures that no area in which we can achieve sustainability is overlooked or forgotten. And - most importantly - the list of criteria also enables us to measure how sustainable our actions and measures are.

Stephan Mahnecke: We laid the foundations for sustainability thinking back in the 1990s. Back then, we were a pioneer in the event industry with our equipment rental. We took responsibility early on because our business model was always designed for multiple use and was circular. We naturally want to continue our sustainable approach and keep it up to date. And as I said, the catalog of criteria also serves to transparently document our own performance.

How did that work, how did you draw up the list of criteria?

Christian Eichenberger : The ESG target areas have been on everyone's lips for a few years now: ecology, social issues and good corporate governance. We have added three further dimensions to these and thus completed the catalog for our company. To do this, we analyzed the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in 2015. We then identified our own opportunities to influence these global intentions. To make it easier for colleagues at the various locations to achieve the resolutions, we first prioritized them. This allows us to achieve the goals in small steps without being overwhelmed by the sheer volume.

Stephan Mahnecke: Back in 2018, we developed a list of criteria specifically for the event industry in a Berlin network. At that time, there was no guidance for our industry. The resulting Sustainable Meetings Berlin label is now firmly anchored in our industry and recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. This council manages global sustainability standards that focus on contributing to social, cultural and ecological life. The Berlin Party.Rent operation has been certified on this basis since 2019 and is assessed externally every year - with continuous improvement. The list of criteria is adapted to our sector and aligned with the requirements of international frameworks. We have also added two dimensions that are important to us: Circular economy and our customers.

The circular economy offers great potential for our company to increase our sustainability. In order to increase our influence in the future, particularly in the circular economy, we need to find new solutions and broaden our perspective. Together with our customers, partners and suppliers.

Please repeat:
What are your own three target dimensions?

Stephan Mahnecke : Profitability, social justice and good corporate governance have always been the foundation of our company and the pillars of sustainable business development.
Our focus in the future will also be on the circular economy and our ecological footprint. We also want to develop more sustainable solutions for our customers. Renting instead of buying - creating multiple benefits in cycles instead of always producing something new.

Christian Eichenberger: We can already triple the lifespan of our products compared to the traditional purchase model. This means that our customers can already save up to 70 percent in CO2 emissions compared to conventional purchase or rental models. In this way, we want to ensure that we act in an even more sustainable manner and generate added value. Much more than is currently the consensus among political players such as the UN.