GFZ – following the German Sustainability Codex (DNK) (in German only) – has published a sustainability report for the reporting year 2019 in 2021. The DNK is a cross-industry standard for the presentation of sustainability performance and is used by organizations and companies of all sizes and legal forms. It was developed by the German Council for Sustainable Development in 2011 and has been revised several times since then. Around 700 organizations and companies in Germany, including many universities and research institutions, have used this reporting form to date.  

The DNK declaration is commonly made by reporting on a combined total of 20 criteria in the categories of strategy, process management, environment and society. In addition, there is a set of quantitative performance indicators based on standards of the "Global Reporting Initiative". The latter were developed in cooperation with the United Nations.

The GFZ's DNK Statement 2019 provides a comprehensive insight into the status and dynamics of our Centre's sustainability performance. In addition to presenting a large number of positive developments, it also reports transparently on further required efforts to advance sustainability issues at GFZ.