The non-profit organization Germanwatch has clearly defined goals: “The situation of the extremely disadvantaged people in the south is the starting point of our work. We watch, analyze and interfere. More precisely this means that we fight for north-south equality and the protection of humans natural living conditions. Including our members, sponsors and other actors of the civil society we want to establish a strong lobby pro sustainable development. To us, sustainable means socially fair, ecologically compatible and economically bearable.

We want to get closer to our goals by supporting a fair trade market, a responsible acting financial market, the protection of human rights and the avoidance of a dangerous climate change. World trade and nourishment, climate protection and adaptation, corporate responsibilities, economic sustainability as well as financing sustainable development are our topics. And: We monitor relevant individuals, politicians and economists from Germany, Europe and the rest of the world. Based on scientific analysis we inform the public, do educational work and lobbying and propose the consumers methods how they can act according to our goals. In order to fulfill all this, we have a strong network of individuals and organizations from the south, as well as development and environment organizations worldwide.

To achieve our political goals we work closely with companies, labour unions and consumer protection groups. When working with companies we have the following maxim: cooperation if possible, confrontation if necessary – depending on how effectively the criteria for sustainability can be implemented. Politics and world market structures, as well as the increase of resource intensive economic models of the north, influence humans worldwide. We promote guidelines that enable a future for those people from the south, who are often pushed to the edge of society by the uncontrolled dimensions of globalization and/or are threatened in their existence by the loss if their ecological and economic living foundations.

We are a highly motivated team, put together from salaried and voluntary workers with years of experience in the development and environmental sector. By being creative and strategically farsighted we aim at reaching our goals step by step."