BHB Congress in uncertain times discusses sustainability - and its opportunities

Almost 480 participants came to Bonn today for the start of the two-day congress of the German DIY industry, organised by the industry association BHB - a number of participants "at the upper end" compared to previous congresses, as BHB Managing Director Peter Wüst emphasised in his welcome address. Around 100 participants came from the retail sector.

"We have a lot of crises right now, a lot of things that are not normal," said Wüst, who gave the welcome address alone because Peter Tepaß, Obi board member and spokesman for the BHB board, is ill. Specifically, he criticised the great potential for uncertainty as well as the "confusion of regulations and the lack of action in politics". In the industry, this was reflected in a drop in sales of almost three per cent up to October. However, he also said: "Nevertheless, we are in an industry that has opportunities." He called on the industry to work together to communicate DIY as a trend topic. "We need great products that people can afford," he said, admitting: "Perhaps some products are a little over-engineered."

The congress started with social and sustainability topics. Torsten Safarik, president of the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (Bafa), joined online for a keynote speech on the Supply Chain Duty of Care Act. He emphasised: "We are not asking you to do the impossible," and stressed that his institution is proceeding with a good sense of proportion. He expressly regretted that some NGOs were misusing the law for campaigns. However, he also emphasised the moral duty to "take a look at who is working for our prosperity" - namely people who are not lucky enough to have been born in a country like Germany.

"Sustainability: the central common principle of action and innovation of the 21st century" was the title of Michael Kuhndt's presentation; he comes from CSCP, an international non-profit think-and-do-tank. His message: "Sustainability is actually a great opportunity." However, this also means: "It's about nothing other than changing our production and consumption patterns." Key points of his presentation were biodiversity, the right to reparability and greenwashing.