The accident at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl in 1986 caused radiation pollution to the hazelnut plantations in Turkey in the same year. Thus, Ritter Sport lost a large part of the hazelnut harvest. Alfred T. Ritter’s response to this was to establish Paradigma Energie- und Umwelttechnik GmbH & Co. KG in 1988, which soon became a trailblazer for ecological heating systems, and remains so today.
Economical use of natural resources and the development of innovative, environmentally friendly technologies are particularly important to him. These goals are the focus of many of Alfred T. Ritter’s activities, and those of his employees.
For his commitment and environmentally friendly actions, Alfred T. Ritter was honoured by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and the Capital magazine as "Eco-manager of the year" in 1997. This was followed by the Prognos Future Award from the Swiss Prognos Institute in 1998, the German Federal Cross of Merit in 2000, and the 2003 German Solar Awards Special Award.
Alfred T. Ritter is a founding member of companies such as Solarfabrik Freiburg and a Swiss management company which advises investors on the ecological performance of companies.