How sustainable is Stuttgart?

“Only when the last tree is cut down, the last river poisoned, the last fish caught, will you realize that money cannot be eaten”. (Alleged prophecy of the Cree Indians) Sustainability is an old term that originally comes from forestry and means that no more should be felled than can grow back. This applies not only to trees, but to everything our planet offers us. But we learn every day that the economy should continue to grow. In medicine, this would be called proliferation and it is known to be malignant. What is the conclusion? What, when and where should we do without sacrificing quality of life? We should rethink! Satisfaction and happiness do not come from consumption. Dr. Ha Vinh Tho, head of the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Centre in Bhutan, speaks of a basic right to happiness. We can learn that gain comes from renunciation.

• Let’s determine our ecological footprint together!
• Let’s give it a try, we’ll park the car and go for a “sustainable” walk and explore where and how sustainability is practiced in Stuttgart. (If you have difficulty walking, we’ll take the car)
• I will show you sustainability in architecture and urban planning.
• In cosmetics and in the textile and food industries.
• And I will explain why Stuttgart is one of the most sustainable cities in Germany in terms of migration. We have over 170 nationalities here, speak more than 100 different languages and have a migration rate of around 40 percent. And it works better than in any other major German city!