A portrait of a pioneer
Hemma Opis-Pieber: “I was a pioneer in everything”
Sustainability pioneer Hemma Opis-Pieber has made cemeteries greener and parish festivals more sustainable as environmental officer of the Graz-Seckau diocese. Her pet project, the Austria-wide "car fast", is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary.
"My motivation was my inner conviction and the future of my children. I wanted to show them that each and every one of us can do something," says Hemma Opis-Pieber. Today she is retired and looks back on a life as a sustainability pioneer. In 2004, after several years of voluntary work, she was appointed environmental officer of the Graz-Seckau diocese. Together with the Protestant church, she then decided to establish car fasting in Styria based on the German model.
Right from the start, 700 participants signed up for the project, and after a few years there were more than 8,000 Styrian participants. "A success that nobody would have expected. Especially when I had no experience with project management - except as a mother of four," smiles the Styrian.
Originally a special school teacher, a three-month "Bible school" in Israel sparked her interest in studying theology - in Vienna, Munich and Graz. During her studies, she married and gave birth to her first two children. She completed her degree with a thesis on the "Principles and Practice of Christian Environmental Responsibility" under ethicist Kurt Remele.
"Even back then, it bothered me that pious people who believe in a world created by God treat it with so little care. Praying and drinking Coke from a can - for me, that intuitively didn't go together," says Opis-Pieber. At home, her family lived differently: the vegetable box from the farmer, milk from a glass bottle, no vacations by plane.
It was not until 2005 that the right budget was found for her to be employed by the diocese. Opis-Pieber's working life was characterized by constant, persistent persuasion. A battle for "responsibility for creation" as a fundamental attitude within her own ranks. A task in which she was always supported by dedicated volunteers and committed colleagues.
As head of the "Sustainability Working Group" and spokesperson for Austria's environmental officers, she managed to introduce environmental parish councils in Styrian parishes and launched an environmental award. She ensured sustainable supply chains and a climate and energy strategy for the diocese. She made cemeteries greener and parish festivals more organic. "As a church, it is our mission to serve life," she says.
Above all, she is grateful for all the women and men who have accompanied her on her journey and continue to carry her ideas forward today. And for Pope Francis, who has set very clear accents for responsibility for creation. "But now I'm glad that my work is in the hands of others," says the pensioner. With children and grandchildren under one roof, she can now continue to protect the environment in her private life. "Of course, I haven't given up my convictions when I retire," she smiles.
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