Themen für Abschlussarbeiten

Entwicklung eines Nachhaltigkeitsmanagementkonzepts für die Bayerische Milchindustrie eG

Auf Basis einer wissenschaftlichen Analyse soll in Zusammenarbeit mit der Bayerischen Milchindustrie eG (BMI) ein unternehmensspezifisches Nachhaltigkeitsmanagementkonzept mit dem Ziel kontinuierlicher Verbesserung bei wichtigen emmissionsrelevanten Faktoren und Klimaneutralität bis 2050 entwickelt werden. Die Themen Nachhaltigkeit, Klimaschutz und Energieeffizienz gelten als globale Herausforderungen und sind entscheidend für eine zukunftsfähige Umwelt. Besonders im Bereich der Lebensmittelindustrie kann ein wesentlicher Beitrag zum Erhalt der Umwelt geleistet werden. Das Thema Nachhaltigkeit soll bei der Bayerischen Milchindustrie eG in den einzelnen Ebenen der Wertschöpfungskette beleuchtet und bereits bestehende Aktivitäten, Projekte und Handlungsfelder zur CO2-Reduzierung aufgegriffen werden. Angefangen beim Landwirt als Rohstofflieferant, müssen auch im Bereich der Produktion (7 Werke in Bayern und Sachsen-Anhalt) und der Hauptverwaltung der BMI sowie auf dem Weg zu den teilweise weltweit agierenden Kunden die Stellschrauben zur Optimierung identifiziert und konkrete Maßnahmen festgelegt werden. Um das Ziel „Klimaneutralität 2050“ zur erreichen, ist eine unternehmensspezifische Strategie mit Einzelmaßnahmen festzulegen. In der Abschlussarbeit soll ein konkretes Nachhaltigkeitsmanagementkonzept für die Bayerische Milchindustrie eG entwickelt werden. Außerdem sollen Handlungsimplikationen zum aktiven Klimaschutz in den verschiedenen Bereichen der Wertschöpfungskette gegeben, aber auch Möglichkeiten für einen passiven CO2-Ausgleich identifiziert werden (z.B. Investitionen in Umweltprojekte). Die Abschlussarbeit soll einen wesentlichen Beitrag zu der in den Managementprozessen der BMI integrierten Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie leisten.

Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch/Deutsch
Betreuung: Prof. Dr. Remmer Sassen

Supply chain in the agri-food sector and related climate change challenges

Germany, like many other regions, is also affected by climate change. Almost all areas of society are concerned about the consequences. Small and medium-sized enterprises are vulnerable to climate change. They face considerable challenges in developing sustainable adaptation strategies and practical measures due to a lack of expertise and relevant knowledge about climate change's possible ecological and economic impacts. One of the main objectives of the project of KlimaKonform, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the frame of the funding initiative "Regional Information on Climate Action" (RegIKlim), is to develop a decision-supporting system for evaluating climate resilience of stakeholders within the agri-food supply chain.

The intended MSc thesis aims to understand and characterise the main challenges faced by private sectors within the agri-food supply chain regarding climate change. For this purpose:

the relevant stakeholders of private sectors along the agri-food supply chain in the research region shall be identified and categorised,
information/data from the private sectors within the supply chain about the problems and opportunities resulted from climate change shall be collected through survey and questionnaire,
the information and data obtained from the survey and questionnaire shall be analysed to determine the key issues that need to be tackled to enhance the climate resilience of the agri-food supply chain.

We are looking for a motivated student interested in agri-food supply chain analyses/research for this MSc thesis research. Having a basic understanding of climate change, statistics, and survey are desirable.
Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch
Betreuung: Prof. Dr. Remmer Sassen, Dr. Lulu Zhang (UNU-FLORES)

Supply Chain in the Agri-Food Sector under Climate Change: A Literature Review

Germany, like many other regions, is affected by climate change. Almost all areas of society are concerned about the consequences. Small and medium-sized enterprises are vulnerable to climate change. They face considerable challenges in developing sustainable adaptation strategies and practical measures due to a lack of expertise and relevant knowledge about the possible ecological and economic impacts of climate change. One of the main objectives of the project of KlimaKonform, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), in the frame of the funding initiative "Regional Information on Climate Action" (RegIKlim), is to develop a decision support system for evaluating climate resilience of stakeholders within the agri-food supply chain.

The intended MSc thesis aims to investigate/explore the current development of climate change adaptation strategy in the agri-food supply chain. For this purpose:

a systematic review and analysis of the literature and studies on agri-food supply chain shall be performed
the existing climate change adaptation practices applied in the agri-food sector to enhance stakeholders’ climate resilience shall be identified
the economic and ecological effects of adaptation practices shall be analysed and areas of opportunities to enhance climate change adaptation over the supply chain in the agri-food sector shall be sought

We are looking for a motivated student interested in agri-food supply chain analyses/research for this MSc thesis research. Having a basic understanding of climate change, statistics, and surveys are desirable.
Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch
Betreuung: Prof. Dr. Remmer Sassen, Věra Greschner Farkavcová (UNU-FLORES)

Which corporate governance mechanisms drive corporate sustainability?

Corporate sustainability, which is often confused with corporate social responsibility, is a strategy that goes beyond short-term efficiency to search for environmental, social and economic balance of doing business. In this sense, traditional corporate governance philosophies and mechanisms are challenged for reconsideration.
The aims of this thesis is to conduct a systematic literature review of the relationship between sustainability and governance, how sustainability- related issues could be integrated in corporate governance, and which tools and mechanisms are available or being developed to help companies in the transition towards sustainable business practices. Governing issues such as ownership structure, board structure, management process, compliance, information transparency, etc. are to be discussed in detail.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch/Deutsch
Betreuung: Nicolas Roos

Sustainability management in the sports industry

There is a paucity of research in the sustainability management principles and practices of the sports industry, including but not limited to policies, opportunities and challenges, drivers and barriers, competencies and good practices. The sustainability concept in sports are currently examined in specific aspects rather than as a comprehensive business management strategy. In order to drive sustainability forward in sports organizations, it is of great necessity that sports sustainability management receives a stronger focus in academia.
The thesis is required to provide a critical analysis, by means of a systematic literature review, of one or more specific issues related to the sustainability management of the sports industry. Additionally, practical implications for the industry are to be discussed.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch/Deutsch
Betreuung: Prof. Dr. Remmer Sassen

Corporate biodiversity management

Corporate environmental responsibilities have received growing attention from multiple stakeholders and become common practices worldwide. However, certain particular issues such as biodiversity conservation, though receiving great social pressures, have not been considered in depth by current environmental management standards. To address such gap, research on the challenge of integrating biodiversity management in businesses are specifically called for.
The thesis should select one or more particular issues related to corporate biodiversity management such as drivers and barriers, internalization challenges, standards and implementation, governance mechanism, etc. Furthermore, the thesis should be able to critically discuss applicable managerial implication.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch/Deutsch
Betreuung: Prof. Dr. Remmer Sassen

SMARTWater

The challenge of water resources management is an emerging problem worldwide and is of a growing concern to European nations. Under global climate change scenarios which predict greater prevalence of drought risk and reduced access to water resources, there is an increasing need for water management strategies, particularly in Urban areas. Public-Private partnerships (PPP)have become increasingly common in water utility service provision as Governments turn to the private sector to introduce innovative and efficient mechanisms for water service provision. This raised a number of questions including the effectiveness of different PPPs and the effects of the structuring of these partnerships on water provision, how does the nature of PPPs vary geographically (within and between countries), what commonalities and differences exist between different urban water PPPs, and what are the main challenges and drivers for Governments to commit to PPPs for their water management policies? The thesis should address these research questions in a way which draws on theoretical perspectives and practical evidence that supports or disputes the use of PPPs in water utilities, e.g. through systematic reviews or case study approaches. The thesis should derive recommendations for both policy-makers and private service providers.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch
Betreuung: Dr. Jonathan Morris

Wastewater in Companies

Contemporary discussions regarding sustainability practices are often focused on environmental-related actions such as reducing carbon emissions and pollution effluent. Yet the role of water in corporate strategies is often overlooked and this is despite water availability being identified as a significant threat by the World Economic Forum. Ensuring a supply of water is essential for sustaining economic activity and maintaining the function and the health of society. One potential solution to managing water resources is to increase the uptake of treated wastewater and other water recycling technologies The aim of this thesis is to identify the opportunities and barriers for wastewater re-use in companies through examination of the sustainability strategies of the largest corporations. This is to be achieved through conducting a systematic review of both the wastewater techniques and barriers to application in the scientific literature and review the prominence of wastewater in corporate reports. This could be applied to a single industry or to a range of water intensive industries such as mining, food production and tourism.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch
Betreuung: Dr. Jonathan Morris

Sustainable Water Consumption in Strategic Management

Contemporary discussions regarding sustainability practices are focused on sustainability actions for example reducing waste and emissions yet the role of water in corporate strategies is often overlooked despite water being identified as a significant threat by the World Economic Forum. Ensuring a supply of water is essential for sustaining economic activity.
The aim of this thesis is to conduct a systematic review of water sustainability literature, focusing on the opportunities and barriers for firms to formulate and measure sustainability activities relating to water which can be applied to reporting in water intensive industry such as mining or food producers.
Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch
Betreuung: Dr. Jonathan Morris

Stakeholder management in the construction industry

There is a growing awareness of the impact of the construction industry on the environment, economy and society and stakeholder management is important in the pursuit of sustainable construction projects. It is a crucial point for the successful completion of construction projects to involve stakeholders, to address their concerns as well as to meet their expectations.
The aim of this work is to analyze different approaches that are used while engaging with internal (employees, owners, customers, suppliers, contractors) and external (local community, neighbors, general public) stakeholders. Furthermore, it will be discussed for each point in the project life cycle how they can contribute to sustainable solutions.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Deutsch/Englisch
Betreuung: Christoph Scope

Vergleich nationaler und internationaler Bewertungsansätze für nachhaltige Infrastrukturprojekte

Durch die zunehmende Bedeutung einer umweltfreundlichen und nachhaltigen Bauweise sind diverse nationale (z.B. DGNB, BNB) und internationale Bewertungssystem insbesondere für Gebäude entstanden. Neben Gebäuden haben aber auch andere infrastrukturelle Projekte (Brücken, Straßen etc.) große Auswirkungen in allen Dimensionen der Nachhaltigkeit.
Ziel der Arbeit ist es, bestehende nationale und internationale (z.B. CEEQUAL) Bewertungssysteme und -ansätze zu identifizieren und zu vergleichen. Insbesondere sollen dabei mit Hilfe eines Systematischen Reviews der Einfluss von Materialien und Bauprozessen auf das Bewertungsergebnis, die Zielgruppen der Systeme und die Gewichtung verschiedener Kriterien untersucht werden. Ausgehend von Interviews wird zudem die Praxisrelevanz der Systeme analysiert und kritisch diskutiert.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Deutsch/Englisch
Betreuung: Christoph Scope

Environmental communication and ecolabels in the construction industry – analysis of the current state of ecolabel schemes and their assessment criteria

There is a growing awareness of the impact of buildings on the environment. The approach of eco-labelling is one possibility to take environmental factors into account. The aim of the thesis is to perform an up-to-date overview of ecolabel schemes applied in the construction industry in global context. The student will be required to systematically analyze, by means of a literature review, the assessment criteria of different ecolabels applied to construction industry and compare their performance and current success rate.
Additionally, current understandings of the ecolabel in construction industry and future trends will be critically analyzed.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Deutsch/Englisch
Betreuung: Christoph Scope

Evaluation of approaches to Environmental Profit & Loss Accounting

In contrast to traditional reporting, which only captures economic benefits for the company and its shareholders, environmental accounting takes a broader perspective. Environmental accounting is a heading notion for a variety of practices one of which is Environmental Profit & Loss (EP&L) Accounting. EP&L accounting seeks to jointly assess business expenditures and environmental impacts valued in monetary terms. Different approaches to EP&L accounting exist to date, including by PUMA, Arla Food, the Kering group and BASF.
The goal of this master thesis is to systematically assess current practices regarding EP&L accounting. Questions to be investigated include: Do other examples of EP&L accounting exist? Which entities are assessed (e.g. an individual activity or the whole organisation)? Which sustainable development indicators are chosen? Which methods are used for quantification and subsequent monetization (incl. their spatial and temporal scope)? What are the choices made regarding the concepts Total Economic Value, discounting and equity weighting?
Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch
Betreuung: Christoph Scope; EIFER1

Sustainable Design in der Kreislaufwirtschaft

In der frühen Entwicklungsphase von Produkten können noch mit geringen Kosten größere Veränderungen vorgenommen werden. Daher sollte für die Entwicklung nachhaltiger Produkte eine Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung möglichst früh im Entwicklungsprozess stattfinden und diesen steuern ("sustainable design“). Da in dieser frühen Phase jedoch noch große Unsicherheit über die Produkteigenschaften besteht, müssen neue Methoden der Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung angewendet werden.
Im Forschungsseminar soll anhand einer systematischen Literaturanalyse mit Inhaltsanalyse der Stand der Forschung zu Sustainable Design Thinking hinsichtlich der Bewertungsmethoden von Produkten in der Kreislaufwirtschaft erarbeitet werden. Da dieser Sachverhalt in der Literatur nicht einheitlich benannt wird, müssen in einer ersten Übersichtsrecherche geeignete Suchbegriffe gefunden werden.
Im Anschluss soll eine ex ante-Methode für die ökologisch-ökonomische Optimierung, d.h. eines iterativen Verfahrens zur Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung von Produkten bereits am Anfang der Wertschöpfungskette im Entwicklungsprozess hinsichtlich ökologischer und ökonomischer Aspekte entwickelt oder bestehende Verfahren auf ihre Validität geprüft werden. Durch die Kombination von Ökobilanzierung (LCA) als ökologische Bewertungsmethode und Materialflusskostenmethode (MFCA) als ökonomische Bewertungsmethode der Kreislaufwirtschaft auf Produktebene kann ein Optimierungsmodell erstellt werden.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Deutsch/Englisch
Betreuer: Christoph Scope

Life cycle assessment and Cost analysis of desalination processes / Ökobilanzierung und Kostenanalyse von Entsalzungsanlagen

Task & Objective: Saltwater intrusion is a serious risk especially in arid and semiarid areas. Due to salinisation, the present groundwater may not be suitable for irrigation or domestic use. Managed aquifer recharge is used to counteract this process. If no water in adequate quality and quantity is accessible for recharge, desalination of saline groundwater may be a sufficient option. Nowadays, saltwater and brackish water is usually desalinated by thermal and membrane processes. The suitability of these desalination techniques is depending on the water quality and quantity, energy resources, ecological objectives and socio-economic conditions in regions affected by saltwater intrusion. The work can consist of a Systematic Literature Review about Live Cycle Assessment or cost analyses (e.g. Live Cycle Costing) within the field of desalination processes.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Deutsch/Englisch
Betreuung: Christoph Scope, Hanna Rosentreter

Electrification of the transport sector: What impedes electricity and transport sector coupling in Germany?

As the share of renewable energies in the German electricity sector has been increasing over the course of the last years, the integration of the volatile power supply from wind, solar, and other renewable sources becomes vital. Industry and public policy alike increasingly promote sector coupling as a solution to foster a sustainable transition of the energy system as a whole. The electrification of the transport sector is seen as one of the primary levers, since electric transport vehicles and infrastructures may provide balancing and other ancillary services to the electricity market. However, companies from both sectors such as electricity utilities, public transport or automotive companies struggle to roll out respective business models and technologies.
The aim of this thesis is, one the hand, to systematize current scenarios, respective potentials, impacts, as well as business models, which are targeted at the coupling of the electricity and transport sector in Germany. On the other hand, the thesis is aimed at analysing the drivers and barriers to sector coupling in Germany, in particular for companies currently operating in these, still very distinctive sectors. Finally, the thesis should derive corporate strategy and policy recommendations.
Prior knowledge of the electricity market design and the regulatory frameworks of the electricity and transport sector is an asset.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch/Deutsch
Betreuung: Björn Verse

Monetarisierung von externen Effekten – Discrete Choice Experimente in der betrieblichen Umweltökonomie

Mit diskreten Entscheidungsexperimenten, sogenannten Discrete Choice Verfahren, werden sozialwissenschaftliche Methoden bezeichnet, um ökonomische Präferenzen von Individuen zu erfassen und analysieren. Diese Methoden sind vor allem in der Experimental- und Verhaltensökonomik etabliert und finden vor allem in der Umwelt- und Verkehrsökonomie Anwendung. Diese Methoden zielen darauf ab, die Zahlungsbereitschaft von Individuen – oder auch deren Bereitschaft, Kompensationszahlungen zu akzeptieren – für die Bereitstellung von öffentlichen Gütern (bspw. saubere Luft in der Stadt) oder auch sogenannten Ökosystemdienstleistungen zu erfassen. Die Abschlussarbeit soll einen Überblick über Discrete Choice Verfahren geben und sie gegenüber anderen umweltökonomischen Bewertungsmethoden einordnen und abgrenzen. Ziel der Arbeit ist es, Discrete Choice Verfahren für die spezifischen Fragestellungen der betrieblichen Umweltökonomie nutzbar zu machen und deren Tauglichkeit für das Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement kritisch zu diskutieren. In einer Master- und Diplomarbeit soll zudem ein Discrete Choice Studiendesign entworfen werden und eine Erhebung im Rahmen eines Fallbeispiels aus der Energie- oder Verkehrsbranche durchgeführt werden.
Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomarbeit
Sprache: Englisch/Deutsch
Betreuung: Björn Verse