The reduction in VAT was intended to support the economy - and made a project in the service of sustainability possible: the Schöffel Foundation, which promotes and initiates social and ecological projects, has now supported the planting of almost 30,000 trees for forest conversion projects of the Bavarian State Forests together with Schöffel customers. The sum was raised thanks to a special initiative: during the VAT reduction from July 1 to December 31, 2020, Schöffel enabled its customers to use the 3 percentage points saved on the purchase price when shopping in the online store of the outdoor and ski specialist for a good cause. The Schöffel Foundation then doubled the amount. In total, around 96,000 euros were raised in this way.

With this campaign, the Schöffel Foundation is supporting the planting of future forest tree species in the forests of the Oberammergau and Schliersee forestry operations of the Bavarian State Forests. The forests in this region fulfill a variety of protective functions, for example against soil erosion, and provide a habitat for rare animal and plant species. What's more, forests make a significant contribution to reducing carbon dioxide (CO2), with each tree binding around 10 kilograms of CO2 per year. That's around 300 tons of CO2 per year for the trees planted so far as part of the Schöffel Foundation's campaign alone.The overall response from Schöffel customers to the campaign has been very positive. A large proportion of those who made purchases directly via the Schöffel website at www.schoeffel.de decided to donate the VAT reduction. The difference between the regular tax rate of 19 percent and the temporarily reduced tax rate of 16 percent was donated to the Bavarian State Forests for the

made available for planting. The Schöffel Foundation ultimately doubled the amount. Of course, customers also had the opportunity to benefit from the reduced value-added tax instead of making a donation and to buy the high-quality Schöffel clothing at lower prices.

Peter Schöffel, founder and chairman of the Schöffel Foundation: "I am delighted that so many Schöffel customers supported our campaign and the work of the Bavarian State Forests. The Schöffel Foundation sees the promotion of around
30,000 tree plantings a great success. After all, our aim is to convey a fascination with nature and, even more importantly, to care for and preserve nature. We feel a special connection to the unique forest and mountain regions in Bavaria, which offer all visitors a valuable break from everyday life, especially at this time of year."

The Schöffel Foundation was established in 2011 by Peter Schöffel, Managing Partner of Schöffel Sportbekleidung GmbH, and his father Hubert Schöffel. The primary aim of the foundation is to initiate and promote projects for children, young people, families, the elderly and the sick, as well as for environmental protection. The foundation idea is supported by the Schöffel family.

www.schoeffel-stiftung.de