TEAM Sustainability—The Contribution of Science …
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sustainable development strategy is a tool for informed decision-making that provides a framework for systematic thought across sectors and territory. It also helps
to institutionalize processes for consultation, negotiation, mediation and consensus
building on priority societal issues where interests differ” (UNDESA 2002, p. 9).
The aim of this article is to draw on the insights gained from the management of
the TEAM Sustainability, which indirectly functions as the Sustainability Advisory
Council of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Therefore, this paper discusses selected sustainability architectures of the federal and state level of Germany
and presents the lessons-learned made during the coordination and organisation of
the TEAM Sustainability.
2 Background
2.1 Sustainability Strategy of North Rhine-Westphalia
The federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has a highly energy- and
resource-intensive economic structure and is one of the most important regions for
the entire Federal Republic of Germany and within Europe. The state of NRW is the
most densely populated area (515 inhabitants per km
2 ) in Germany and with about
17.6 million inhabitants (22% of the German population) one of the most important urban areas in Europe (Federal Statistical Office 2014). The state of NRW is a
national and international important economic region: 21.9% (625 billion euro) of
German GDP were generated in NRW in 2013, these are 4.6% of European GDP
(EU-28) (NRW.INVEST, n.d.). A total of 15.9% of Germany’s export goods are
produced in NRW—this results in an export value of 180.6 billion euros in 2014
(ibid.). North Rhine-Westphalia industry accounts for 28% of German net electricity consumption and emits 18.6% of industrial greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in
Germany (IWR, n.d.), (MKULNV NRW 2014). This overview of key facts makes
clear that the federal state of NRW has to take on a high degree of responsibility for
sustainable development and at the same time can make a significant contribution to
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The state government of NRW decided in a cabinet approval from November
2013 to develop a sustainability strategy for the federal state of North RhineWestphalia (NRW) (MKULNV NRW 2013). In June 2016, the state government
of NRW adopted the first sustainability strategy for NRW (State Government NRW
2016a, b), which covers all three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social,
economic). Beside the strategy, that is also available in English (State Government
NRW 2016c), a central pillar of the sustainability strategy for NRW is a target and
indicator system consisting of roughly 70 indicators with targets for the years 2020,
2030 or 2050 responding to 19 central areas of action in the sustainability strategy
(State Government NRW 2016a, b). All indicators are aligned to the United Nations
653
sustainable development strategy is a tool for informed decision-making that provides a framework for systematic thought across sectors and territory. It also helps
to institutionalize processes for consultation, negotiation, mediation and consensus
building on priority societal issues where interests differ” (UNDESA 2002, p. 9).
The aim of this article is to draw on the insights gained from the management of
the TEAM Sustainability, which indirectly functions as the Sustainability Advisory
Council of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Therefore, this paper discusses selected sustainability architectures of the federal and state level of Germany
and presents the lessons-learned made during the coordination and organisation of
the TEAM Sustainability.
2 Background
2.1 Sustainability Strategy of North Rhine-Westphalia
The federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has a highly energy- and
resource-intensive economic structure and is one of the most important regions for
the entire Federal Republic of Germany and within Europe. The state of NRW is the
most densely populated area (515 inhabitants per km
2 ) in Germany and with about
17.6 million inhabitants (22% of the German population) one of the most important urban areas in Europe (Federal Statistical Office 2014). The state of NRW is a
national and international important economic region: 21.9% (625 billion euro) of
German GDP were generated in NRW in 2013, these are 4.6% of European GDP
(EU-28) (NRW.INVEST, n.d.). A total of 15.9% of Germany’s export goods are
produced in NRW—this results in an export value of 180.6 billion euros in 2014
(ibid.). North Rhine-Westphalia industry accounts for 28% of German net electricity consumption and emits 18.6% of industrial greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in
Germany (IWR, n.d.), (MKULNV NRW 2014). This overview of key facts makes
clear that the federal state of NRW has to take on a high degree of responsibility for
sustainable development and at the same time can make a significant contribution to
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The state government of NRW decided in a cabinet approval from November
2013 to develop a sustainability strategy for the federal state of North RhineWestphalia (NRW) (MKULNV NRW 2013). In June 2016, the state government
of NRW adopted the first sustainability strategy for NRW (State Government NRW
2016a, b), which covers all three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social,
economic). Beside the strategy, that is also available in English (State Government
NRW 2016c), a central pillar of the sustainability strategy for NRW is a target and
indicator system consisting of roughly 70 indicators with targets for the years 2020,
2030 or 2050 responding to 19 central areas of action in the sustainability strategy
(State Government NRW 2016a, b). All indicators are aligned to the United Nations