Focusing on working together.

What turbulent times we are all living through right now! In many areas, the focus is hardly on the ‘we’ anymore. Different approaches and ideas for solving the major challenges of our time are often opposed to each other and are exaggerated into seemingly irreconcilable opposites. This is precisely why we at Gira focus on the ‘we’: When, if not at Christmas time, should the focus be on working with and for each other? Growing together, standing up for each other, drawing  strength and power  from the diversity of the many - even beyond the festive season. After all, our day-to-day work has taught us the great value of partnership and  cooperation - with our market partners, our suppliers, our neighbours and our employees. Because only together can we grow and successfully shape the future.

Since the end of November, a festively decorated Christmas tree from the Bergisches Land region has been standing in front of the Gira daycare, signaling the approach of Christmas. The tree was planted by the 45 children from our daycare centre in a joint effort with the daycare centre's staff. They decorated it with Christmas ornaments made from sustainable materials that they had previously made together. Each child had their own idea of what a great Christmas tree should look like. The blue spruce shines in a colourful and diverse way, vividly demonstrating the strength and beauty of such togetherness in diversity. This is all the more true as this special, unique tree with its very individual, Christmassy ‘outfit’ only reveals its full splendour in the overall picture with all the other Christmas trees in our company, in the region, throughout the country and all over the world. The Gira daycare centre chose its Christmas tree and its Christmas decorations with care. The tree and decorations should be as sustainable as possible. Let us inspire you!

Christmas is even better with a Christmas tree that leaves the smallest possible carbon footprint. This is ensured by buying local trees, such as spruce or pine - preferably also felled locally - while the popular Nordmann fir trees are usually imported thousands of kilometres from Georgia and other distant countries. If you buy a Christmas tree that bears a recognised organic label (Naturland, Bioland, Demeter, Biokreis, FSC or the European Union's organic label), you can be sure that, unlike with plantation trees, it has been grown without the use of pesticides such as glyphosate and mineral fertilisers. Potted Christmas trees are not an alternative, especially indoors, as they are brought out of hibernation by the heat of the room. In addition, their roots suffer considerable damage when they are potted.  These two factors often mean that trees do not survive planting out after the holidays. Detailed tips can be found on the website of the German Society for Nature Conservation.

Environmentally friendly decorations can make your Christmas tree even more sustainable. These include ornaments from nature such as pine cones, nuts and fruit, as well as pendants made from untreated wood, fabric ribbons, straw stars and figures made from bee or soya wax or recycled paper. Tin foil tinsel, on the other hand, is far from sustainable as it contains lead and must be disposed of as hazardous waste. The same goes for tree decorations that are thrown away after a single use or that, like sprayed snow, prevent the tree from being composted after the holidays.

Together with researchers, forest owners, companies and private individuals, woodify is creating near-natural climate forests that bind CO2, store water, cool their surroundings and promote local biodiversity. To date, woodify has protected 973 hectares of forest, enabling the additional sequestration of over 200,000 tonnes of CO2. The 351-hectare Oberbergischer Kreis climate forest, a degraded forest that are in need of regeneration, contributes almost 87,000 tonnes of CO2. We at Gira are working together with woodify and have been supporting the sustainable, climate-friendly forest project on our doorstep for 30 years.

Christmas is also a time for giving and receiving gifts. However, there are many people who spend Christmas alone. Gira trainees therefore established the tradition of the ‘Christmas miracle’ nine years ago. In 2024, our ‘trainees’ will once again ensure that people from our immediate neighbourhood who do not spend Christmas with family and loved ones are given a little joy in a major hands-on campaign. This year, the residents of two care facilities for senior citizens and two children's homes in the Bergisches Land region will receive presents. Our junior staff have collected wish lists there so that our colleagues can fulfil the little wishes written on them: Shortly before the holidays, our trainees will once again hand over several hundred colourfully wrapped parcels. The many smiling faces and shining eyes are a moving thank you for this commitment.

The Gira Christmas donation is also an expression of the social responsibility that Gira fulfils outside the factory gates. We support various local, national and international initiatives and charitable organisations whose work provides a valuable service to our community. This year, these include four food banks in the Bergisches Land region, Aktion Lichtblicke in North Rhine-Westphalia, SOS Children's Villages and Médecins Sans Frontières.