Viessmann’s #ViMoveForClimate programme, 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 wellbeing 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 kilometre or cycled three kilometres, Viessmann would donate a tree. The first campaign achieved 132,853 kilometres of activity, resulting in more than 64,000 new trees.
Such has been the success of ViMove, the programme 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.
Viessmann has now 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 Apple App or Google Play Store. Registration is required via app.vimoveforclimate.com/login
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 global leaderboard. 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), launched on August 1st.
“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. “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.”
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 ViMove app can be accessed at the links below:
Apple App Store
Google Play
