The Kronberg Academy Foundation is committed to ensuring that music lives on and remains authentic for future generations. As a result, we now wish to give more structured consideration to social and environmental developments. After all, how could we train young musicians – and thus responsibly-minded ambassadors of international exchange – without addressing the most pressing issues of modern times? Without equipping them to act conscientiously? Without enabling them to give the many music enthusiasts sound guidance on how to act?
In this 21st century, nature and society are undergoing profound change, change that must be managed in harmony with nature as we move towards global and intergenerational justice. Kronberg Academy therefore strives to act with minimum environmental impact and to take sustainability criteria into account in both its academic training and when planning and implementing events. But we want to do more: we want to find ways to contribute to the necessary transformation of society that go beyond everyday eco-friendly actions. Ultimately, it is a matter of translating macrosocial challenges into our musical context – and incorporating them into our teaching activities in a consistent manner. All this will help music to gain in importance and influence us towards interactions that are wise for people and our planet alike.
“… Music in the service of humanity” – that philosophy of Pablo Casals, the great cellist and champion of peace who believed that art, humanity and respect for nature are inextricably linked – will become the guiding principle for all training and musical activities that take place at the new Casals Forum, which is the first concert hall and study centre in Europe capable of carbon neutral operation.
Consequently, we now wish to give a transparent account of our endeavours in the first Kronberg Academy Foundation Sustainability and Environmental Report, which was completed in accordance with recognised reporting standards.
It combines the established sustainability reporting framework of the German Sustainability Code (DNK) and a statement inspired by the demands of the Eco Management Audit Scheme (EMAS), as well as reports on our audited management system as specified in international standard ISO 14001:2015. As a foundation and private college, sustainable development is so fundamentally important to us because the purpose of our organisation, to train top-class young musicians in classical music, is directly linked to the sustainability goals of the United Nations (SDGs) and its 2030 Agenda.
