Earth Day at ZEISS

Employees are making a difference around the world.

ZEISS employees worldwide show their commitment to environmental awareness, social responsibility, and sustainability as part of Earth Day every year. At numerous locations, they do their part for the environment and society through various activities – from beach cleans and reforestation projects to educational initiatives. Any activity, big or small, makes a difference and helps us build a shared and lasting sustainability mindset.

ZEISS has now become an official partner of the international environmental organization EARTHDAY.ORG and thus part of a global movement in over 190 countries. This partnership underscores how ZEISS, as a global company, actively takes responsibility for the environment and society.

Earth Day – every day

At ZEISS, sustainability is an integral part of the company's DNA, shaping our activities far beyond Earth Day.

Our activities in 2026

ZEISS employees worldwide are taking action for our planet. In 2026, teams around the globe once again implemented numerous initiatives – from local cleanups and planting projects to efforts that help children, strengthen communities, and protect biodiversity.

Cleaning lakes and rivers, creating a ZEISS forest, offering educational programs to children, or organizing social initiatives such as fundraising events, support for people in need, or health and safety training sessions – the work is as diverse as the teams themselves.

Projects such as monitoring butterflies or building bug hotels also demonstrate the broad range of activities.

A woman filling a container with water from a faucet

Our activities in 2025

ZEISS teams worldwide implemented numerous initiatives in 2025. From environmental projects and educational offerings to social initiatives, even small steps in everyday life can collectively make a big difference.

For example, a ZEISS project team set up a water supply project in Devanahalli, India, that improved access to clean drinking water by building new wells, cleaning existing ones, and using filter systems.

This has led to a lasting improvement in the quality of life for many of the local residents.

Schoolchildren are helping Manoj Sharma to carry new benches into a classroom

Our activities in 2024

An remarkable project was launched in Bengaluru, India, in 2024: Old shipping crates were turned into school benches for children. To date (April 2026), a total of around 1,400 benches have been made for 16 schools, sustainably improving the learning conditions for over 4,000 students. The project also made an active contribution to climate action because no additional trees needed to be cut down for new school furniture.

The initiative has also reduced the school dropout rate by 20 percent. The new benches offer the schoolchildren numerous health benefits compared to sitting on the hard floor for hours on end, as they previously had to do.

For over five decades, the international organization EARTHDAY.ORG has been coordinating Earth Day on a global scale and advocating for environmental and climate action worldwide. Its aim is to mobilize people, organizations, and governments to initiate sustainable change and raise awareness of ecological challenges.

With campaigns, educational initiatives, and global activities, the organization reaches more than one billion people in over 190 countries every year. As an official partner, ZEISS is part of this global movement and helps to highlight and drive sustainable initiatives.

EARTHDAY.ORG

Sustainability as a guiding principle

For ZEISS, sustainability is not something we do only once. It's an integral part of our company's DNA. Whether through responsible practices internally or community involvement externally, employees worldwide do their bit to create a brighter, more sustainable future together.

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