The German Capability
Index—An Operationalization of Sen’s
Capability Approach
Holger Schlör , Wiltrud Fischer , and Sandra Venghaus
Abstract When reflecting on the global call for sustainable development (Gutteres
in Davos speech 2019, January 24. World Economic Forum, Davos, 2019 [29]),
a question posed by Amartya Sen actuates further thought—namely that for who
has to be sustained (Anand and Sen in World Dev 28:2029–2049, 2000a [4])? This
question was answered by himself, proposing “it is not so much that humanity is
trying to sustain the natural world but rather that humanity is trying to sustain itself
(Sen in J Hum Dev Capabil 14:6–20, 2013 [66])”. Against this background, in our
research we addressed this question of who has to be sustained using Sen’s capability approach for the case study of Germany. For this purpose, the German household survey (Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe (EVS)) of the German Federal
Statistical Office is used to analyse five social household groups (all households,
single households, single parents, couples without children, couples with children)
according to their income (nine income classes) (Federal Statistical Office Germany
in Wirtschaftsrechnungen. Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe Einnahmen und
Ausgaben privater Haushalte 2018, 2020a [19]; Federal Statistical Office Germany in
Wirtschaftsrechnungen. Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe Konsumausgaben
privater Haushalte 2018, 2020b [20]). Based on this survey, the question of who
needs to be sustained will be analysed as follows:
1. First, the “worldwide reach (Rosa in Resonanz: Eine Soziologie der Weltbeziehung. Suhrkamp, Berlin, 2019 [62])” of the consumption patterns of the
German household groups will be measured by their ecological and water
footprints.
H. Schlör (B) · S. Venghaus
Institute of Energy and Climate Research, Systems Analysis, IEK-STE, Forschungszentrum
Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
e-mail: h.schloer@fz-juelich.de
S. Venghaus
e-mail: s.venghaus@fz-juelich.de
W. Fischer
Department for Political Sciences and Sociology, University of Bonn, Lennéstraße 25-27, 53113
Bonn, Germany
e-mail: s5wifisc@uni-bonn.de
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
S. S. Muthu (ed.), The Water–Energy–Food Nexus,
Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0239-9_6
145
Index—An Operationalization of Sen’s
Capability Approach
Holger Schlör , Wiltrud Fischer , and Sandra Venghaus
Abstract When reflecting on the global call for sustainable development (Gutteres
in Davos speech 2019, January 24. World Economic Forum, Davos, 2019 [29]),
a question posed by Amartya Sen actuates further thought—namely that for who
has to be sustained (Anand and Sen in World Dev 28:2029–2049, 2000a [4])? This
question was answered by himself, proposing “it is not so much that humanity is
trying to sustain the natural world but rather that humanity is trying to sustain itself
(Sen in J Hum Dev Capabil 14:6–20, 2013 [66])”. Against this background, in our
research we addressed this question of who has to be sustained using Sen’s capability approach for the case study of Germany. For this purpose, the German household survey (Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe (EVS)) of the German Federal
Statistical Office is used to analyse five social household groups (all households,
single households, single parents, couples without children, couples with children)
according to their income (nine income classes) (Federal Statistical Office Germany
in Wirtschaftsrechnungen. Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe Einnahmen und
Ausgaben privater Haushalte 2018, 2020a [19]; Federal Statistical Office Germany in
Wirtschaftsrechnungen. Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe Konsumausgaben
privater Haushalte 2018, 2020b [20]). Based on this survey, the question of who
needs to be sustained will be analysed as follows:
1. First, the “worldwide reach (Rosa in Resonanz: Eine Soziologie der Weltbeziehung. Suhrkamp, Berlin, 2019 [62])” of the consumption patterns of the
German household groups will be measured by their ecological and water
footprints.
H. Schlör (B) · S. Venghaus
Institute of Energy and Climate Research, Systems Analysis, IEK-STE, Forschungszentrum
Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
e-mail: h.schloer@fz-juelich.de
S. Venghaus
e-mail: s.venghaus@fz-juelich.de
W. Fischer
Department for Political Sciences and Sociology, University of Bonn, Lennéstraße 25-27, 53113
Bonn, Germany
e-mail: s5wifisc@uni-bonn.de
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
S. S. Muthu (ed.), The Water–Energy–Food Nexus,
Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0239-9_6
145