Viessmann’s #ViMoveForClimate program, which sees the company donate trees in return for participants’ activity, is to be made permanent via an activity tracking app that anyone anywhere in the world can download and use to improve their health and well-being, while making a contribution to environmental conservation.
Launched in 2020 as an antidote to global lockdowns, ViMove started as a 14-day campaign for Viessmann employees. If they ran or walked a kilometer or cycled three kilometers, Viessmann would donate a tree. The first campaign achieved 132,853 kilometers’ activity resulting in more than 64,000 new trees.
Program re-run twice
Such has been the success of ViMove, the program has been re-run twice
Such has been the success of ViMove, the program has been re-run twice, evolving to include participants outside the company, and with more and more activities added.
In 2021, the milestone of one million trees was reached, equating to 10,000 tons of CO2 captured per year. Till date, Viessmann has planted more than 83,0000 seedlings around the world, including in Cambodia, Peru, and in Talla & Gameshope in the United Kingdom (UK).
Viessmann made ViMove permanent
As of July 2022, Viessmann has made ViMove permanent, as opposed to being campaign-based over limited time periods.
Open to as many people as possible, a ViMove activity tracking app can be downloaded in the App- or Google Play Store.
More than 40 qualifying activities
The list of qualifying activities totals almost 40 and includes yoga, skiing and even jumping jacks. The app allows individuals to track their own contributions and to see how they fare in a pioneers board.
From July 2022, a tree will be planted for every 30 km of cycling or 10 km of walking or running, and for every 90 minutes of swimming, climbing, football ,or gym workouts. Attaining badges will be possible via additional campaigns featuring within the app, such as the joint #BiathlonClimateChallenge with the International Biathlon Union (IBU), launching on August 1st, 2022.
#ViMoveForClimate initiative
The feedback of ViMove has been fantastic while Viessmann invite the world to join the initiative
“It has been truly heart-warming to see the #ViMoveForClimate initiative develop in such a short space of time,” says Viessmann UK Managing Director, Graham Russell.
He adds, “It has been road-tested by Viessmann family members and trade partners, as well as their friends and family. The feedback has been fantastic and we’re now in a position to invite the world to join a permanent ViMove community.”
focus on tree planting as part of environmental initiative
Viessmann chose to focus on tree planting for its environmental initiative, because deforestation is the second largest anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, after fossil fuel combustion.
When they are cut down, vital means of trapping CO2 and preventing it from entering the atmosphere disappear. The reach and evolution of the campaign was recognized in June 2022 at the National ACR & Heat Pump Awards, with ViMove winning Company Environmental Initiative of the Year.