Research

Commentary on §§ 1, 3 of the Federal Climate Protection Act (KSG)

Head: Uta Stäsche
(Ongoing, 2023)

§1, 3 KSG, purpose and national climate protection targets

Beck’scher Onlinekommentar zum Klimarecht (BeckOK KlimR), edited by Ekkehard Hofmann and Franziska Hess

Commentary on § 10 of the Federal Climate Protection Act

Head: Uta Stäsche
(Ongoing, 2022-2023)

§ 10 KSG, Reporting, Berlin Commentary on the Climate Protection Act (KSG), edited by Dr Markus Appel and Dr Susan Krohn, Erich-Schmidt-Verlag

Head: Prof. Dr Anja Grothe
(Completed, 01.02.2021 - 31.08.2021)

In this project, scientists from the Berlin School of Economics and Law and Steinbeis University as well as experts from the consulting firms SUSTAINUM Consulting and Blended Solutions, together with companies that operate sustainably, are examining the thesis that companies that operate sustainably have anchored similar values in their corporate policy, which they live in their corporate culture - regardless of the size of the company or the industry in which they operate.

The aim of the project is to work with the participating companies to develop a canon of values for targeted value management that forms the basis for sustainable companies. To this end, a sustainability questionnaire is first developed in cooperation with the companies, which serves to record values with regard to the sustainability culture. The actual and desired values of the employees are then recorded using the KODE®W tool. All project participants then use the results to develop a basic value profile for the sustainability culture and define the target values for each value, which represent sustainable behaviour.

The results of the project will subsequently be published in a book and can therefore also be used by companies that are not yet operating sustainably as an example for a change process towards sustainability. In this way, the project supports the transformation of companies towards more sustainability in Germany.
 

Head of content: Katharina Gapp-Schmeling, Holger Rogall 
(Completed, 01.01.2020 - 31.12.2022)

The overarching goal of KoWa is to provide support and scientific assistance in the development of highly integrated, municipal heat supply concepts geared towards defossilisation in cooperation with regional energy supply companies, municipalities and interested stakeholders. The solutions developed are characterised by intersectoral combinations of renewable energy sources, combined heat, power and cooling, industrial waste heat and efficiency measures in the context of a decentralised, ecological and affordable municipal heat supply geared towards defossilisation in the future.

In close cooperation with regional energy suppliers and local authorities, ecologically and economically feasible heat supply systems are initially developed by means of scenario-dependent cataloguing and taking into account efficiency-enhancing measures. The aim is to identify opportunities and obstacles with regard to the implementation and realisation of highly integrated and defossilisation-oriented heat supply concepts and networks. The testing of municipal implementation options at neighbourhood level is based on the specific examples of the Saarlouis, Osnabrück, Berlin and Sömmerda clusters. Project development and implementation guidelines with model problem-solving strategies will be developed from the analyses and implementation experiences. These are intended to help interested stakeholders develop their own neighbourhood heating concepts. The results of future municipal development options, in particular with regard to changing heating requirements and structures, will subsequently be communicated on a broad scale, for example by means of conference contributions.

Head: Silke Bustamante
(Completed, 01.01.2018 - 31.12.2019)

Studies suggest that potential employees are more likely to choose an employer that behaves responsibly towards its stakeholders (e.g. employees, customers, partners, society) and the environment. It is questionable whether these results apply universally and to what extent the social, economic and labour market situation in the country in question plays a role.

Against this background, the project analyses the influence of socio-cultural conditions and individual values on students' preferences regarding their future employer. In particular, the role of different aspects of corporate social responsibility in different cultures will be analysed.

In a first step, students from 25 countries were asked about the importance of 25 criteria when choosing an employer using an adaptive conjoint analysis approach. The analysis of the almost 5000 complete data sets suggests that CSR plays a comparatively minor role in the choice of employer, but that there are significant differences in different segments. In particular, there is also a significant influence of nationality.

In the current analysis phase, the influencing and moderating variables are being analysed in more detail in order to be able to derive differentiated recommendations for the design of the workplace, working environment and aspects of corporate responsibility.

Head: Markus Wissen
(Completed, 01.10.2018 - 30.09.2019)

The project aims to contribute to a better understanding of the opportunities and obstacles in the socio-ecological transition of the automotive industry and the respective roles of employees and their stakeholders. The project addresses discussions, experiences and possible entry points to challenge the ‘automotive consent’ and initiate broader socio-ecological transformations to better address the challenges of climate change, energy and resources.

Furthermore, the project addresses the role of workers and their representatives in processes of socio-ecological change in general and the transformation of the automotive sector in particular. We assume that the participation of workers and their representatives as well as comprehensive forms of economic democracy play a crucial role in the development of alternatives to car production and related infrastructure and the creation of decent work as part of a successful and legitimate transformation process. The project is funded by the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund (KLIEN). The main partner is the University of Vienna, Institute of Political Science (Prof. Dr Ulrich Brand).

Head: Andrea Pelzeter
(Completed, 01.04.2018 – 31.03.2020)

In the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, all signatory countries committed to a substantial reduction in their greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, the decarbonization of value chains has been a general demand for all sectors of the economy in Germany. However, methods and benchmarks for calculating greenhouse gas emissions in the service sector are still lacking. Using the example of the highly diverse services in the field of Facility Management (FM), this research project will develop a guide and an IT-supported benchmarking and assistance tool, enabling users without ecological expertise to determine the CO2 emissions for facility services such as cleaning or maintenance.

Head: Holger Rogall
(Completed, 01.10.2017 – 31.03.2018)

In addition to the economic and political challenges such as increasing international competitive pressure and uncertain developments in the European neighborhood, new technologies are increasingly changing the demands on value creation structures (keyword: digitalization of the economy). Equally significant are the ecological and climate policy challenges and issues. To address these, companies must acquire the know-how to actively participate in the transformation process toward sustainable business practices. In this context, industrial engineers could play a key role, with their area of expertise spanning all technology-oriented industries and core sectors of German industry. The goal should be to explore the role of industrial engineers in an international dialogue and consider their potential function as change agents, through which they bring their skills into companies and support them on their path to sustainable business practices.

Head: Carsten Baumgarth
(Completed, 13.02.2017 – 31.12.2017)

As a methodology partner of the German Sustainability Award, HWR facilitated the execution of the competition in the category "Germany's Most Sustainable Brand" at a high level. It supported the scientific (further) development of the methodology and conducted multi-stage assessments, based on which the best entries in each category were identified and compiled into a shortlist for the jury.

Head: Carsten Baumgarth
(Completed, 01.04.2017 – 31.01.2018)

This project aimed to develop brand audits for sustainability brands and conduct them using the example of the BUND brand. The results were then summarized using a scoring model to derive potential areas for improvement. These findings were documented in a brand audit report and presented orally at the conclusion of the project. Participants also received feedback on the conducted brand audit, and a general guide for performing brand audits in the sustainability sector was developed.

Head: Holger Rogall
(Completed, 01.06.2016 – 31.12.2016)

In addition to the current challenges of international competition and overarching issues of climate and resource protection, it is primarily the digitalization of the economy and demographic change that require the German industry to demonstrate a high level of willingness to change and adapt, while also offering significant opportunities for economic development. In an international expert discussion with universities from the Germany-Austria-Switzerland (DACH) region, the opportunities and challenges of Industry 4.0 were discussed and explored.

Head: Holger Rogall
(Completed, 01.10.2015 – 31.05.2016)

The focus of the project was a full-day international workshop, which was conceived, organized, conducted, and followed up by HWR Berlin. The workshop included discussions on the economic prerequisites for ecologically-oriented startup founders in the key sectors of the Green Economy. The goal was to bring together experts in sustainable economics, representatives of university-affiliated startup centers, and successful entrepreneurs from environmentally-focused startups in the key industries of the Green Economy. Both participants from Germany and other German-speaking Central European countries (Austria/Switzerland) with an active startup scene were invited. Participants were expected to present their experiences and engage in a moderated dialogue based on key questions. The results were summarized in a final report.

Leadership: Silke Bustamante, Andrea Pelzeter
(Completed, 01.10.2014 – 31.10.2016)

The general trend toward CSR, the voluntary assumption of social responsibility by companies, offers new opportunities to create societal and business synergies, which can also positively influence the company’s brand and profile. The primary goal of the project was to address open scientific questions, analyze them for final transfer to business practice, and prepare them in a practical and demand-oriented manner. Methodologically, guideline-based in-depth interviews and surveys were used for the analysis on the company side, as well as conjoint analyses on the side of potential employees, represented by students in master’s programs.

Current information can be found here.
It also includes information about the current follow-up project “Global Employee Preference - The Role of CSR for Employer Attractiveness.”

Head: Holger Rogall
(Completed: 2013-2014)

The Sustainable Economics Conference (Fachkongress Nachhaltige Ökonomie) 2013 and 2014 were held in cooperation with the Society for Sustainability (Gesellschaft für Nachhaltigkeit e.V.) and the Department I of HWR Berlin. The conferences were supported by the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). The 2013 conference outlined the key areas of action for Sustainable Economics (Green Economy, Energy Transition, Resource Protection) and highlighted possible "Paths to Transformation." The focus of the 2014 conference was on concrete "Steps of Transformation" at the actor level. Both conferences engaged approximately 200 participants in dialogue with high-profile representatives from the field of Sustainability Science.

Head: Holger Rogall
(Completed, 01.04.2012 – 30.11.2013)

The goal of the project was the continuation and further development of the "Yearbook on Sustainable Economics" as well as the execution of all necessary preparatory and public relations work for the 2013/14 and 2014/15 editions, with publication dates in Nov./Dec. 2013 and Nov./Dec. 2014. Two two-day author workshops and two public events (Sustainability Forums) were held, and the existing media were further developed and expanded to strengthen the Sustainable Economics network and its messages (newsletter, website, teaching and public materials).

Baumgarth, C.:

• Coca-Cola Sustainability Barometer
• Sustainability Barometer for Coca-Cola Suppliers

Bustamante, S.; Gapp, K.:

• Participation in the Research Project „Global CSR Management in international active utilities“ (since 2013)

Eberl, M.:

• „Die Bedeutung effektiver Projekt-Governance-Strukturen für die nachhaltige Umsetzung von Strategien. Eine Untersuchung der DAX-30 Unternehmen“

Grothe, A.:

• Sustainability Consulting for the Stadtwerke Potsdam
• „KIM - Kriterien- und Indikatorenmodell zur Messung von Nachhaltigkeit“
• EFRE-Projekt „BeNIN – Berliner Netzwerk für Innovation und Nachhaltigkeit“ (2012-2014)
• Umweltallianz Sachsen: Fortschreibungsbericht (2013)
• Ökoprofit - Dresden (2006-2013)
• „MazImmo – Managementkonzept für nachhaltige Immobilienbewirtschaftung“, IFAF-Project

Klinski, S.:

• Research Project for the Federal Ministry for the Environment „100% Wärme aus erneuerbaren Energien? Auf dem Weg zum Niedrigstenergiehaus im Gebäudebestand“, in Cooperation with: IFEU-Institute (leading), Deutsche Energieagentur, Ecofys and others (2012-2014)
• Research Project of the Federal Environment Agency „Konzepte für die Beseitigung rechtlicher Hemmnisse des Klimaschutzes im Gebäudebereich“, in Cooperation with Öko-Institut (2012-2013)

Pelzeter, A.:

• „Kennzahlen zur Berichterstattung über Nachhaltigkeit im Facility Management“ (2013)