Innovatively sustainable: Wilo Group receives SDG Innovation Award

Jury honours the group’s commitment in the Global South

Dortmund/Munich. On 7 December 2024, the SDG Innovation Awards were presented for the third time by the German Senate of Economy in cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The Wilo Group was honoured for its outstanding commitment in the Global South at the award ceremony in Munich.

Oliver Hermes, President & CEO of the Wilo Group, emphasises the importance of international cooperation: “Partnerships between the Global North and South are essential for transforming the world to meet international sustainable development goals. As a globally active technology group, we see it as our duty to enter such partnerships.” This commitment is firmly anchored in the Wilo Group’s comprehensive sustainability strategy.

Georg Weber, Executive Board Member and CTO of the Wilo Group, elucidates the strategic objective: “We are convinced that real partnerships take place on equal footing. This is why we empower local actors in the Global South to assume responsibility for sustainable development. The develoPPP projects, which we are implementing in collaboration with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), are an excellent example of this.”

The award-winning develoPPP project, which Wilo is carrying out in Mongolia in cooperation with the BMZ, demonstrates the effective deployment of sustainable innovation. Heating systems in public buildings, such as schools, kindergartens and administrative buildings, were modernised as part of the project. The aim was to increase energy efficiency and contribute to climate protection. Among other things, Wilo provided highly efficient pumps and supported the training of local professionals.

The SDG Innovation Awards recognise outstanding projects that focus their attention on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. The awards aim to honour initiatives that combine environmental and climate protection with economic development, while strengthening the Global South in the processes. This year, 270 nominees from 38 countries were considered for awards in three categories (companies, cities and municipalities, and youth and education). Wilo received one of the four SDG Innovation Awards that honoured companies.