Hofer partners with HELIOZ

Clean water through sunlight: Hofer partners with HELIOZ for the implementation of the Austrian showcase project in Bangladesh

Since 2016 HOFER and HELIOZ are collaborating in the field of carbon reduction projects with added value. The climate project in Sharankhola has played an important part in HOFER’s climate and social initiative “Project 2020” and in the company’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality.

Building on the longterm relation, HOFER has expanded the cooperation in 2020 and 2021, ensuring that the programme continues to contribute to HOFER’s new climate initative “Heute für Morgen”.

Thanks to a strategic partnership with HELIOZ, Hofer is improving climate and lives through contributing to a better drinking water supply and saving more than 4,000 tons of CO₂ per year in Bangladesh.

Since January 2016 Hofer is working carbon neutral. Hofer ensures carbon neutrality by taking several steps: Hofer has already avoided unnecessary emissions and reduced its carbon footprint significantly in recent years through energy efficiency and the use of green electricity. In a third step Hofer offsets remaining unavoidable amounts of carbon emissions through the purchase of CO₂ certificates with added value from HELIOZ’ best practice climate project in Bangladesh. Thus, Hofer is helping to lower the global carbon footprint, through reducing unavoidable emissions in the Global South.

The selected region in the coastal area of Bangladesh is heavily affected by climate change and the rise of sea levels. It suffered considerable damages in 2007 when cyclone Sidr hit the area killing more than 10,000 people in the country causing damages of USD 2 billion.

Typically, 5-6 people live in a household in Sharankhola using more than 300 kg of firewood for cooking and boiling water per month. Firewood is either bought on the local market or collected in the surrounding woods taking up more than 35 hours per month. Water is fetched from local ponds or collected from rainwater harvesting tanks.

Together with HELIOZ, Hofer is ensuring a higher living standard, health and wellbeing for rural communities. We are proud to be an important part of Hofer’s initiative “Heute für Morgen”.