KlimaUnion e.V.
KlimaUnion e.V. is a German CDU/CSU-aligned political association founded in 2021 that advocates for market-economy, science-based 1.5°C climate policy through a nationwide network of state chapters, expert forums, an annual congress, and corporate partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What KlimaUnion e.V. does
KlimaUnion e.V. is a Hamburg-domiciled, Berlin-headquartered registered association (eingetragener Verein) founded on 27 March 2021 within the CDU/CSU political family. It operates as a political advocacy organization promoting a science-based, Paris-compatible 1.5°C climate policy from a market-economy and technology-open perspective, positioning climate protection as conservative 'Zukunftspolitik' rather than left-wing ideology. The organization does not develop technology products; its activity is built around a multi-tiered member and engagement ecosystem that includes a federal board staffed with sitting CDU/CSU parliamentarians, 10 state-level Landesverbände, 5 regional groups, 7 specialist Fachforen (Agriculture & Forestry, Construction & Housing, Green Finance, Energy, Transport, Municipal, Circular Economy), recurring 1,5°-Calls member webinars, an annual KUngress congress, and an Ost-Tour regional dialogue series.
The organization serves three primary member constituencies: ordentliche Mitglieder (full members holding CDU/CSU party membership), Fördermitglieder (supporting members without party affiliation), and corporate partners (Unternehmenspartnerschaften) that include companies such as 1KOMMA5° and Lichtblick SE. It also publishes practical resources for local politicians, including Kommunalanträge templates and a Q&A on climate and energy transition, and maintains an active press presence in major German outlets.
Its business model is a non-commercial membership dues + corporate sponsorship model. Individual members pay self-assessed monthly contributions with floors of €1.50/month for students/seniors and €10–25/month for other income brackets. Corporate partnerships are negotiated directly with the national office. The organization explicitly states it cannot claim charitable (gemeinnützig) status under German tax law because of its political work and therefore cannot issue donation receipts, which constrains its fundraising to dues and partner contributions. Core staff of approximately 11 employees is led by Geschäftsführer Berthold Schilling in Berlin.
KlimaUnion e.V. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KlimaUnion e.V.
- Legal name
- KlimaUnion e.V.
- Website
- https://klimaunion.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- KlimaUnion e.V. is a German CDU/CSU-aligned political association founded in 2021 that advocates for market-economy, science-based 1.5°C climate policy through a nationwide network of state chapters, expert forums, an annual congress, and corporate partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KlimaUnion e.V. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Political Advocacy
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), Regulatory & Disclosure Strategy (CSRD/ESRS, ISSB/IFRS S2, SEC, TCFD) (EUABAKAH)
Keywords
Where KlimaUnion e.V. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
KlimaUnion e.V. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Mitgliedsbeiträge (Member Dues): The organization finances itself primarily through membership dues from both ordinary members (ordentliche Mitglieder, with CDU/CSU party membership) and supporting members (Fördermitglieder, without party membership). Dues are set on a self-assessment basis, with minimum thresholds.
- Unternehmenspartnerschaften (Corporate Partnerships): The KlimaUnion partners with companies that support its climate policy goals. These corporate partners provide financial support in exchange for being part of a network that promotes dialogue between business and politics and advances effective climate strategies. The organization explicitly states it cannot claim charitable (gemeinnützig) status under German tax law due to its political work and therefore cannot issue donation receipts.
- Spenden (Donations): Individual donations are accepted from supporters who wish to contribute without becoming full or supporting members. No donation receipts are issued due to the organization's non-charitable legal status.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Studierende, Schüler und Senioren: mindestens 1,50 € pro Monat (nach Selbsteinschätzung) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Alle anderen Einkommen: mindestens 10–25 € pro Monat (nach Selbsteinschätzung) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
KlimaUnion e.V. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KlimaUnion e.V. is a political advocacy association (eingetragener Verein) within the CDU/CSU party family that promotes science-based, Paris-compliant 1.5°C climate policy. It offers paid individual membership, corporate partnership packages, an annual congress (KUngress), recurring member webinars (1,5°-Calls), regional dialogue events (Ost-Tour), seven expert policy forums (Fachforen), downloadable municipal resolution templates (Kommunalanträge), and a Q&A resource on climate and energy transition. It does not sell a technology product; its core outputs are political advocacy, educational content, member networking, and event programming.
Product overview
KlimaUnion e.V. is a political advocacy organization (eingetragener Verein) within the CDU/CSU party family focused on promoting science-based, Paris-compliant 1.5°C climate policy. The organization does not offer a technology product; instead, it provides political advocacy services including policy development, educational resources (Q&A documents, position papers, municipal templates), member engagement events (KUngress annual congress, regular calls), and regional networking through state associations (Landesverbände). Its activities include organizing expert discussions, publishing position papers on climate and energy policy, and facilitating member participation in climate policy debates within the conservative political spectrum.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- KlimaUnion Individual Membership
- KlimaUnion Corporate Partnership (Unternehmenspartnerschaften)
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 20 regional events hosted during the Ost-Tour across Germany, engaging local politicians, businesses, and citizens on climate policy from a market-economics perspective
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use KlimaUnion e.V.
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
KlimaUnion e.V. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
KlimaUnion e.V. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Mecklenburg-VorpommerncoreCo-organized a joint event on mobility with KlimaUnion as part of KAS's programmatic activities. The event discussed Germany's path to climate neutrality, focusing on energy, industry, and transport sectors. KAS provided institutional support, venue, and access to its political education network.
- Corporate Partners (Unternehmenspartnerschaften)minorCompanies partner with KlimaUnion to support its goals and values. Partners become part of a network promoting dialogue between business and politics and advancing effective climate strategies. The organization is transparent that it cannot claim charitable status, so partners receive no tax benefits. The partnership is primarily reputational and network access-oriented. No specific corporate partner names were publicly listed.
- 1KOMMA5°minorFeatured as a co-host of a KlimaUnion Hamburg event on 'Schnell. Günstig. Sicher – Wie skaliert Deutschland die Energiewende' alongside Lichtblick. 1KOMMA5° is an energy technology company focused on residential energy solutions and heat pumps.
- Lichtblick SEminorCo-hosted a KlimaUnion Hamburg event with 1KOMMA5° on scaling Germany's energy transition. Lichtblick is a German energy company specializing in renewable energy and green power solutions for households.
- Initiative Klimaneutrales Deutschland (IKND)minorIKND Founder Carolin Friedemann has been invited as a speaker to KlimaUnion events. IKND conducts research and advocacy on Germany's path to climate neutrality. The organizations share alignment on the need for market-based climate solutions.
- heimatwurzeln e.V.minorListed as a supporter of the Ost-Tour events organized by KlimaUnion and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. A civic organization focused on regional development.
- ansvar2030minorListed as a supporter of the Ost-Tour events. ansvar2030 is a sustainability initiative that supported regional climate dialogue events.
- Bundesverband für Wohnungslüftung e.V. (VfW)minorVorstandsvorsitzender Christian Bolsmann and Geschäftsführer Ralf Lottes were featured speakers in a KlimaUnion 1,5°-Call on mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (WRG). The VfW advocates for WRG technology in German building code and climate policy.
- HeatLogixminorHeatLogix CEO Hanno Blatzheim was a guest speaker at a 1,5°-Call presenting their AI-based sensor platform for optimizing existing heating systems. The company develops universal sensor and AI technology for digitizing and optimizing heating systems as a bridging technology for the heat transition.
- Bundesverband CDA (Christlich-Demokratische Arbeitnehmerschaft)minorDennis Radtke MdEP, Bundesvorsitzender der CDA, is listed as a supporter of the KlimaUnion. The CDA represents Christian-democratic trade union interests within the CDU. Radtke publicly supports the KlimaUnion's position that climate policy must preserve jobs and maintain social balance.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KlimaUnion e.V. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- GermanZero: German nonprofit focused specifically on passing a national Climate Protection Law and supporting municipal climate action. Comparable as a focused, advocacy-driven climate organization using expert-led policy work and municipal templates — overlapping with KlimaUnion's Kommunalanträge approach.
- Fridays for Future Germany: German branch of the global youth-led climate movement. Comparable as a high-visibility, movement-style actor pushing the German political mainstream — including CDU/CSU — on climate ambition, and a counterpart KlimaUnion engages from the right of center.
- Initiative Klimaneutrales Deutschland (IKND): Research and advocacy initiative on Germany's path to climate neutrality. Comparable as a smaller, expert-driven organization operating in the climate-policy space; already collaborates with KlimaUnion on shared speakers and events.
Broad incumbents
- Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: Green Party-affiliated political foundation. Comparable structurally to a German party-aligned policy/advocacy foundation, and a natural counterpart on the opposing ideological side of climate politics.
- Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU): One of Germany's largest membership-based environmental organizations, with a state-chapter network and federal advocacy footprint comparable to KlimaUnion's organizing model.
- Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH): Major German environmental and consumer advocacy NGO. Comparable as a German nonprofit driving climate and energy policy through advocacy, though it sits on the progressive side of the climate-vs-economy spectrum that KlimaUnion explicitly avoids.
- Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS): CDU-affiliated political foundation and already a documented KlimaUnion partner. Comparable as a CDU-rooted political/policy organization running programs on climate, energy, and democratic education — KlimaUnion operates as a focused, membership-led counterpart.
- BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland): Largest German environmental NGO with federal-state chapter structure mirroring KlimaUnion's Landesverbände model. Comparable as a membership-based environmental advocacy organization shaping German climate and energy policy, though with a progressive, ecology-first stance.
- WWF Deutschland: Large German branch of a global environmental NGO with active climate-policy advocacy in Berlin. Comparable as a high-resourced, membership-supported environmental advocacy organization influencing German climate legislation.
Others
- LobbyControl: German NGO advocating for transparency in political lobbying. Comparable as a Berlin-based advocacy nonprofit operating in the political-process space and engaging CDU/CSU policy from a civil-society angle, though focused on lobbying rather than climate.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KlimaUnion e.V. social profiles
Digital presenceKlimaUnion e.V. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KlimaUnion e.V. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
KlimaUnion e.V. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
KlimaUnion e.V. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KlimaUnion e.V. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KlimaUnion e.V.
What does KlimaUnion e.V. do?
KlimaUnion e.V. is a political advocacy association (eingetragener Verein) within the CDU/CSU party family that promotes science-based, Paris-compliant 1.5°C climate policy. It offers paid individual membership, corporate partnership packages, an annual congress (KUngress), recurring member webinars (1,5°-Calls), regional dialogue events (Ost-Tour), seven expert policy forums (Fachforen), downloadable municipal resolution templates (Kommunalanträge), and a Q&A resource on climate and energy transition. It does not sell a technology product; its core outputs are political advocacy, educational content, member networking, and event programming.
Is KlimaUnion e.V. a public or private company?
KlimaUnion e.V. is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was KlimaUnion e.V. founded?
KlimaUnion e.V. was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is KlimaUnion e.V. based?
KlimaUnion e.V. is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does KlimaUnion e.V. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Mitgliedsbeiträge (Member Dues) is the primary driver. The others are unternehmenspartnerschaften (Corporate Partnerships) and spenden (Donations).
Who are KlimaUnion e.V.'s main competitors?
Emerging players on record are GermanZero, Fridays for Future Germany and Initiative Klimaneutrales Deutschland (IKND). Broad incumbents are Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU), Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland) and WWF Deutschland. LobbyControl is listed as an others.
Does KlimaUnion e.V. have an API?
No public API is recorded for KlimaUnion e.V..
What industry is KlimaUnion e.V. in?
KlimaUnion e.V.'s product category is Political Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAF, Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation, with a secondary code of BPADALAA, Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 8600.