Besides the United Nations it is the BINGOs which make Bonn an important hub for global issues concerning the whole of mankind. Different groups of society, partly also companies, across the whole world have established some remarkable international NGOs in Bonn to pursue the overall goal of global sustainability in different ways. In contrast to the some 150 German NGOs located in Bonn the stakeholders and staff of BINGOs are international.
Numerous BINGOs pursue as their main goal the production of goods according to social and ecological criteria, they partly carry out according certifications. Bonn can be regarded as the capital of the Fair-Trade movement. Another cluster within the BINGOs is concerned with renewable energies. Most BINGOs make use of their location in Bonn in order to cooperate hand in hand with the UN Bonn secretariats.
BINGOs also represent an important sector of Bonn‘s economy. It is estimated that their annual turnover is some 50 million euros. And they employ some 500 staff.
Members of the BINGOs network are:
- ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (international body of municipalities and regions pursuing the goal of sustainability),
Fairtrade International/FLO (worldwide umbrella organisation of the Fairtrade movement pursuing the social and ecological certification of goods, in particular of food), - FLO-CERT (sister organisation of Fairtrade International/FLO carrying out social and ecological certifications),
- Forest Stewardship Council (worldwide organisation for the ecological and social certification of forest products),
- Global Coffee Platform (international platform for the sustainability of the coffee sector),
- IFOAM – Organics International (worldwide umbrella organisation and global change agent for organic agriculture),
- The Global 100% Renewable Energy Platform (platform for the worldwide pursuance of renewable energies),
- World Wind Energy Association (worldwide umbrella organisation for wind energy),
- Center for International Forestry Research/Global Landscape Forum (organisation pursuing the sustainable use of land, nature and forests),
- European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (European organisation of development research and training institutions).
You may contact the BINGO network at: