Sustainability Management and Assessment of Non-Profit Organizations, especially higher education institutions

Why does our Chair emphasize education for sustainable development?

The guiding principle of sustainable development, which seeks to enable the future viability of society worldwide, is set against current developments, such as climate change, environmental disasters, economic crises, demographic change [7].

On the national level, the Scientific Advisory Council on Global Change of the German Federal Government emphasizes the necessity and advantages of a transformation towards sustainability in its main report on the "Social Contract for a Major Transformation" [19]. In this context, a major transformation is understood as a worldwide change of economy and society towards sustainable development [19].

The basis for the German government's sustainability policy is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, entitled "Transforming our World". The role of public institutions, such as universities, is highlighted in the implementation of Agenda 2030 [18]. In 2018, the German government adopted the new edition of the German Sustainability Strategy, which aims, among other things, to anchor Education for Sustainable Development throughout the German education system.

To meet these demands, numerous initiatives have been launched, such as the World Programme of Action on Education for Sustainable Development from 2015 to 2019, the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development from 2005 to 2014, the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative of 2013, declarations by the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) as well as the German UNESCO Commission (DUK), etc. In Germany, the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development was implemented by the DUK within the framework of the National Action Plan [8]. A variety of collaborations, resolutions, and declarations have also been developed and adopted over the years [1, 6, 20].

The concept of sustainability is already anchored in higher education laws, such as those of Schleswig-Holstein (§ 3 para. 2 and para. 8), Hamburg (§ 3 para. 2 and 8), and Baden-Württemberg (§ 2 para. 5).

Why does our Chair focus our research on management and assessment of sustainability at universities?

Through high-quality research, universities contribute significantly to an enlightened society by generating, critically reflecting, and transferring theoretically and methodologically supported knowledge. Universities, therefore, generate knowledge for global and humanitarian advancement towards sustainability and thus play a significant role in the transformation towards a sustainable society. In addition, as teaching and educational institutions, they impart various attitudes, skills, and competencies that feed into future societal developments. In addition to passing on specialist knowledge at a scientific level, higher education is also expected to shape (leadership) personalities and thus a willingness to assume responsibility. The concept of Education for Sustainable Development explicitly aims at competencies for action and design. 

Higher education institutions are often portrayed as "change agents", emphasizing the enormous potential of universities with regard to socially relevant transformations [17]. Universities exert influence on the social environment, i.e. on the city and region, for example through transportation and mobility, energy consumption, consumer behavior, urban development, and politics [21].

The dynamic developments in recent years testify to the importance attached to the issue of sustainability at universities. However, a major problem in this context is the often largely missing institutionalization of the topic of sustainability at universities [3]. On the way to sustainability implementation, universities face time, material, and personnel restrictions. Often, each university must develop its system, adapted to the particular needs and circumstances of the university. The higher education landscape is striving for standardization as well as a flexible tool to assess sustainability activities [3]. A standardized sustainability assessment tool can be more easily integrated into the organizational structure of higher education institutions.

In this context, sustainability reports are a suitable instrument to communicate social responsibility as well as to present the internal organizational assessment of the sustainability of the entire institution (whole-institution approach). Universities are therefore increasingly moving towards voluntarily producing sustainability reports in order to transparently present their contribution to sustainable development and to sharpen their institutional sustainability profile in the long term. 

Nevertheless, so far only about 5% of German universities produce sustainability reports, some of which differ considerably in terms of their scope, design, structure, the topics reported on and the evaluation systems used [2]. Standardized or defined sustainability reporting processes or reporting criteria specifically for universities hardly exist so far [3].

What are we aiming for?

As part of the DBU-funded project entitled "Standardized web-based benchmark system for sustainability assessment at universities. Practice-relevant indicators for sustainability reporting on aspects specific to higher education institutions", we aim to develop a practical tool for assessing and monitoring sustainability activities. In this respect, we are faced with the challenge of reconciling different perspectives as well as different structural requirements and uniting them in one tool in order to facilitate and promote entry into sustainability assessment for universities.

Hence, questions below are raised from our Chair for this research field:

How can biodiversity management be designed and evaluated at universities?

• Classification of possible measures and approaches in the fields of teaching, research, transfer, operations, and governance.
• Identification of relevant stakeholders (e.g., organizations, public institutions, donors) and guidelines.
• Indicators for biodiversity assessment in a higher education context and their systematization.

Case Study: Biodiversity management at the TU Dresden

• How can the aspects, i.e., community and partnerships, regulatory requirements, campus design, student initiatives, stakeholder involvement, chances, and risks, be integrated into the biodiversity management of the university’s operations?
• How can the integration of biodiversity management be succeeded in the fields of teaching, research, transfer, operation, and governance?
• Which criteria can be used to assess biodiversity management at the TU Dresden?

For more information about the above-mentioned DBU-project.

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