Economy for the common good

The City of Aachen’s Building Management Department is the first municipal building management department in Germany to publish a GWÖ report, making it a pioneer in this field. This is an important step in the city’s reorientation toward sustainable development goals and the common good.

For a business, operating according to the principles of the Economy for the Common Good means not only measuring economic success but also contributing to social justice, environmental sustainability, and employee participation.

What is the Economy for the Common Good?

The Economy for the Common Good is an economic approach that focuses not only on profit but also on the well-being of people, the environment, and society. Companies and organizations are evaluated based on how sustainably, socially justly, and democratically they operate.

Process and Added Value

The Aachen City Council approved the creation of the Public Good Report in 2022. The report was finalized in 2024. The report’s development was accompanied by a comprehensive engagement and information process, which was implemented within the organization through an employee survey and several workshops.

Using the Common Good Matrix 5.0, the company analyzed, among other things, how fairly it treats employees, suppliers, and the environment. In addition, numerous areas for improvement were identified. Economic activity should be combined with social and environmental responsibility.

Through construction practices that are as environmentally friendly as possible, regional economic development, and transparent decision-making, the building management team aims to create added value for society.

Note

In light of the new directive to strengthen consumer rights(EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo)As of September 27, 2026, only certificates for public relations that have been issued or verified by an accredited certification body may generally be used to communicate sustainability claims. In the past, the Economy for the Common Good has issued certificates without itself being an accredited certification body (see the statement “The Economy for the Common Good and European ESG Legislation” at https://audit.econgood.org/aktuelles/).

The “Common Good” certificate for building management was therefore not issued or verified by an accredited certification body; consequently, in accordance with the directive on strengthening consumer rights, no certification exists. We therefore retract any statements regarding a certification that was previously claimed to have been granted. Furthermore, the certification, which did not comply with the guidelines, expired on August 31, 2026. We have updated our publications accordingly to the extent possible.