TEAM Sustainability—The Contribution
of Science to the Management
of Governments’ Sustainability Advisory
Councils
Dorothea Schostok
Abstract The development of a sustainability strategy in accordance with the good
governance criteria includes, among other aspects, the reflexive development of the
sustainability strategy which is understood as the continuous questioning of decisions
in a horizontal and vertical multi-level system. In this context, the involvement of nonstate actors in sustainability management is a central aspect addressed by the good
governance criterion of participation. This paper analyses the sustainability management and deepens the sustainability architecture in Germany and its federal states. A
special emphasis is given to the governments’ sustainability advisory boards, which
could unite non-state actors. Science can play a central role: Firstly, in pro-active
participation and secondly as the organiser of these sustainability advisory boards.
The latter has many advantages for both governmental and non-governmental actors
as this paper points out. Methodologically, the presentation is based on a desktop
research, which was extended by an impact analysis of the “TEAM Sustainability”
as a part of the analysis of the sustainability architecture of the state of NRW. The
presentation will be useful for all state actors involved in the further development
of their sustainability architecture. Non-state actors, especially the scientific community, can also profit from the findings to strengthen their role in governmental
sustainability advisory boards.
Keywords Sustainability advisory council · Sustainability strategy ·
Sustainability architecture · Participation · Non-state actors
D. Schostok (B)
Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Döppersberg 19,
42103 Wuppertal, Germany
e-mail: dorothea.schostok@wupperinst.org
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development,
World Sustainability Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_40
651
of Science to the Management
of Governments’ Sustainability Advisory
Councils
Dorothea Schostok
Abstract The development of a sustainability strategy in accordance with the good
governance criteria includes, among other aspects, the reflexive development of the
sustainability strategy which is understood as the continuous questioning of decisions
in a horizontal and vertical multi-level system. In this context, the involvement of nonstate actors in sustainability management is a central aspect addressed by the good
governance criterion of participation. This paper analyses the sustainability management and deepens the sustainability architecture in Germany and its federal states. A
special emphasis is given to the governments’ sustainability advisory boards, which
could unite non-state actors. Science can play a central role: Firstly, in pro-active
participation and secondly as the organiser of these sustainability advisory boards.
The latter has many advantages for both governmental and non-governmental actors
as this paper points out. Methodologically, the presentation is based on a desktop
research, which was extended by an impact analysis of the “TEAM Sustainability”
as a part of the analysis of the sustainability architecture of the state of NRW. The
presentation will be useful for all state actors involved in the further development
of their sustainability architecture. Non-state actors, especially the scientific community, can also profit from the findings to strengthen their role in governmental
sustainability advisory boards.
Keywords Sustainability advisory council · Sustainability strategy ·
Sustainability architecture · Participation · Non-state actors
D. Schostok (B)
Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Döppersberg 19,
42103 Wuppertal, Germany
e-mail: dorothea.schostok@wupperinst.org
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development,
World Sustainability Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_40
651