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Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag

Member since: 05/2019

Active in: WG Framework conditions

www.dihk.de

Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag

The Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) is charged with representing the interests of Germany's commercial companies in discussions with decision-makers at both national and European level, acting on behalf of and in conjunction with local German Chambers of Commerce and Industry. It is supported in this activity by DIHK Service GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the DIHK that acts as its project delivery arm. In contrast to other business organisations (and particularly to industry-specific associations), the DIHK can count on broad-based support: 3.6 million commercial companies, of all sizes and representing every sector of the economy, are statutory members of their local Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The DIHK is obliged to balance the interests of all its members, meaning that it acts independently of individual interests and enjoys a strong negotiation position in its dealings with politicians, authorities and institutions. The local Chambers of Commerce and Industry act as independent public corporations. They are responsible for managing the collective interests of their members and representing them to local authorities, the governments of Germany's federal states, political decision-makers and the general public. The German Chambers of Commerce Overseas promote German industry's external trading relationships from 140 offices in 92 countries.

Protecting our environment, climate and resources is one of the great global challenges of our time. Developing countries and emerging economies are facing particular challenges in tackling water, soil and air pollution, as well as water shortages and increasing quantities of waste. ‘Green’ technologies, processes and products – areas in which German companies have world-leading expertise and can call on a broad range of knowledge and experience – can help to meet these challenges. Committing to better environmental and climate protection systems therefore also represents an opportunity to increase revenues from German environmental technology abroad.
The network of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry is working to promote technology and knowledge transfer through a range of projects. For bilateral and multilateral projects, a strong network is key. With their contacts and local expertise, the German Chambers of Commerce Overseas are the first port of call for companies looking to develop their presence in foreign markets – and nowhere more so than in growth markets like environmental technology.
The PREVENT Waste Alliance brings together stakeholders and subject matter experts all along the ‘value chain’ of the circular economy. By working together with partners in Germany and beyond, it can help to identify environmental problems and requirements, and come up with potential solutions. This allows us to find and implement projects that contribute to improving the environment all over the world, at the same time as raising the profile of green technology ‘Made in Germany’.

Promoting a circular economy has been an important part of German environmental policy for decades, making it business-as-usual for the DIHK and local Chambers of Commerce and Industry. In all of Germany’s 79 local Chambers of Commerce and Industry, our staff provide their member companies with support on waste and energy management, certification, and German and European legislation, among a range of other issues. Promoting professional education and training on environmental issues is another key pillar of their work. Our local Chambers of Commerce and Industry also count a number of companies from the environmental sector and other related industries among their members. These firms are interested in establishing reliable frameworks in the German market and beyond, and can provide expertise to partners in Germany and overseas. This means that the circular economy is a key topic for us from a number of angles, which is one reason why we support efforts to drive forward long-term engagement on waste management issues within multilateral fora and networks like PREVENT.