Sustainability Reporting in the Light of Communication Theory and the Challenge of Professionalization

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1 Workgroup: Sustainability Reporting Communication Theory and Drivers Sustainability Reporting in the Light of Communication Theory and the Challenge of Professionalization Dr. Angela Franz-Balsen & Dr. Jasmin Godemann INFU

Light of Communication Theory and the Challenge of

2 Contents Sustainability Reporting a complex task Doing things for the sake of doing things instead of conceptual progress Where and how can such qualifications be acquired? Implications for academic institutions

conceptual progress Where and how can such

3 Sustainability Reporting a complex task Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg: actively promote corporate responsibility and accountability, based on the Rio principles What exactly is it that makes up a sustainability report? We define sustainable development reports as public reports by companies to provide internal and external stakeholders with a picture of corporate position and activities on economic, environmental and social dimensions. (WBCSD 2003) Reports that include quantitative and qualitative information on their financal/economic, social/ethical and environmental performance in a balanced way. (KPMG 2002)

We define sustainable development reports as public reports by companies to provide internal and external stakeholders with a picture of corporate position and

4 Economic dimension (Profitability, wages and benefits, resource use, labour productivity, job creation, expenditures on outsourcing and human capital, etc. It includes financial informations) Environmental dimension (Impacts of processes, products and services on air, water, land, biodiversity, human health etc.) Social dimension (Workplace health and safety, community relations, employee retention, labour practice, business ethics, human rights, gender, working conditions etc.) Cultural dimension (intercultural aspects, gender issues and justice. Managing Diversity )

It includes financial informations) Environmental dimension (Impacts of processes, products and services on air, water, land, biodiversity,

5 relevance reliability clarity comparability actuality and verifiability Sustainability Reporting Guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting is facing a complexity problem as well as an implementation dilemma.

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting

6 Number of CORPORATE REPORTS per year number year HSE Report Soc / Env Report Environment Report SD Report Figure 1: number of Corporate Reporting per year (WBCSD: Reports - sustainable development reporting - who is reporting? ( )

SD Report Figure 1: number of Corporate Reporting per year (WBCSD:

7 Doing things for the sake of doing things instead of conceptual progress Forms of communication are needed that are based on critical self-esteem and trustworthiness, that really get through to the public. There is a great need in the companies as well as in PR- Agencies of professional sustainability communicators, Combining communication theory with matters of sustainable production and publishing all this convincingly.

There is a great need in the companies as well as in PR- Agencies of professional sustainability

8 Where and how can such qualifications be acquired? Public Relations FH Hannover (BA) Communication Management FH Osnabrück (Diplom) PR / Communicationmanagement Universität Leipzig (BA) Master of Arts in Communication Management FH Pforzheim (MA) Communication Sciences Universität Hohenheim (Stuttgart) (Diplom) International Master in Corporate Communications Erasmus University of Rotterdam (MA) Master in Marketing, Services and Communication Management Universität St. Gallen (MA) Science Journalism Corporate Communications Züricher Hochschule Winterthur (Diplom) Business Administartion + / - + / Journalism Corporate Communication Sustainability Corp. Citizienship + / - CSR + Env. Manage ment + SR + Sust. Entrepreneur ship + Risk Assesment

Communication Sciences Universität Hohenheim (Stuttgart) (Diplom) International Master in Corporate Communications Erasmus University of Rotterdam (MA) Master in Marketing, Services and Communication

9 Implications for academic institutions Model 1: Diploma programmes with explicit focus on sustainable development Model 2: Establishing consecutive BA and MA Programmes Natural sciences Ecology Chemistry Bachelor Business Administration Planing Law Sustainability Computer sciences Politics Management Communication Social sciences Master Corporate Publishing Sustainability

sciences Ecology Chemistry Bachelor Business Administration Planing Law Sustainability

10 Implications for academic institutions Model 3: MA in the sense of further education Model 4: Sustainability Communications Diploma Bachelor Social sciences Bachelor Natural sciences Practical experiences Master Sustainability Communications Master Sustainability Reporting Bachelor Journalism Bachelor Business Administration

Bachelor Natural sciences Practical experiences Master Sustainability

11 Conclusion Debates focus mainly on development of guidelines and the need to assess quality of professional performance (Standardisation). From a scientific point of view it is necessary to provide a theoretical framework derived from communication theory in order to develop and secure quality. Only a report which will not be questioned by the readers, can guarantee a dialogue between company and stakeholders. There is a need for unconventional thinking multitalents who manage to combine the complex content of sustainability with high standards of communication in mediaconform ways.

quality. Only a report which will not be questioned by the readers, can guarantee a dialogue between company and stakeholders.

12 Thank you very much

Contents. Page 1 of 18

Contents. Page 1 of 18 Contents Programme-specific Section of the Curriculum for the MSc Programme in Forest and Livelihoods, Sustainable Tropical Forestry at the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen 2010 (Rev. 2015)