The story
Founded by Johannes Hengstenberg in 2003.1
Private company
Co2online
Logo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3
German company based in Schöneberg, founded in 20031
co2online gemeinnützige Beratungsgesellschaft mbH (written as co2online) was founded in Berlin in 2003 by Johannes Hengstenberg. It aims to motivate private households to reduce their final energy consumption and CO2 emissions through a range of advisory services and campaigns. The company is largely financed by German federal ministries.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0
Last updated Oct 21, 2026.
Overview
2003Founded1
- HeadquartersSchöneberg1
- Websitewww.co2online.de
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co2online gemeinnützige Beratungsgesellschaft mbH (written as co2online) was founded in Berlin in 2003 by Johannes Hengstenberg. It aims to motivate private households to reduce their final energy consumption and CO2 emissions through a range of advisory services and campaigns. The company is largely financed by German federal ministries.2
Leadership
Who has led Co2online, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.
- FounderJohannes Hengstenberg1
Controversies and legal
Criticism
In 2013, criticism was levelled at the Stromsparinitiative (electricity saving initiative) campaign organised by co2online, which had been initiated by the then Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU). The SPIEGEL reported on the Federal Government's responses to a short question from the Bundestag parliamentary group of the Green Party. According to this, costs of 600,000 euros were incurred for the little-used internet platform. In a minor interpellation in May 2005, criticism was levelled at co2online's Klima sucht Schutz campaign and the Heiz-Energiecheck (Heating energy check). The sender was the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag. According to a report by the German Energy Agency, criticism was levelled at the allocation procedure for subsidies and the 'necessity, effectiveness and accuracy' of the heating energy check. Various media outlets had already reported on this in February. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, headed at the time by Jürgen Trittin (Alliance 90/The Greens), spoke in a press release of "Kritik an Online-Energieberatung ohne Hand und Fuß"(Criticism of online energy advice that is completely unfounded).
From Wikipedia’s article on Co2online, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4
Timeline
- 2003Founded Founded1
Links
- Websitewww.co2online.de1
- WikipediaCo2online
- WikidataQ1104019
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
- 1WikidataCo2online on Wikidata
- 2WikipediaCo2online on Wikipedia
- 3Wikimedia CommonsCo2online logo by Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- 4