SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 12 calls on us to ensure responsible consumption and production patterns. In order to achieve successful transformation to an economic system and lifestyle that respects the natural limits of our planet, we need to change our consumption habits and production techniques. Internationally valid regulations for work, health, and environmental protection play a key role here.
Sponsorship team
Prof. Dr. Dirk Gilbert
Faculty: Business, Economics and Social Sciences
Department(s): Socioeconomics, Business Administration
Profile: Prof. Dr. Dirk Ulrich Gilbert
What are your research areas? What research projects are you currently working on? How do these relate to “your” SDG?
Our research is in the spheres of strategic management and corporate ethics as well as areas in which they come together. Accordingly, we have multiple points of contact with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). For example, one of our research projects is studying the sustainability of “sharing” concepts in the economy. Another is devoted to business models that are also designed to combat poverty. Our research projects thus touch on the development of sustainable production patterns in industrialized and developing countries. In this context, we are also examining how multi-stakeholder initiatives can drive sustainable production across national and continental borders. Another of our projects is looking at how living wages can be achieved in the value-added chain of the textile industry. This will give clothing companies options for more sustainable procurement.
How and why did you become interested in this topic?
SDG 12 is especially relevant in light of the thematic focus of the Professorship for Business Ethics and Management. It expresses our conviction that the private sector and consumers can and must make a pivotal contribution to sustainable development.
What activities are you planning as part of the SDG sponsorship? What possibilities do you see in (interdisciplinary) networking with other members of your sponsorship team?
Work in the above-mentioned research projects will be especially intensive over the course of the next 2 years. We are seeking to network with other members of the sponsorship team.
Is your topic related to any of the 16 other SDGs?
There are many connections. This itself is proof of the important role both companies and consumers play in sustainable development. In our research, we focus on production and working conditions in particular. We thus definitely touch on topics such as combating poverty (SDG 1) or ensuring health and well-being, especially of workers (SDG 3 and SDG 8). Our research project on living wages naturally also examines questions of distribution and is thus related to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) as well. Research on multi-stakeholder initiatives also ties into partnerships for achieving the SDGs (SDG 17). Sustainable economic management naturally also relates to fundamental issues of gender equality (SDG 5) and environmental protection (SDG 6, 7, 13, 14, 15). These topics could play a greater role in our research in the future.
Prof. Dr. Katharina Kleinen-von Königslöw
Faculty: Business, Economics and Social Sciences
Department(s): Social Sciences, Journalism and Mass Communication
Profile: Prof. Dr. Katharina Kleinen-von Königslöw
What are your research areas? What research projects are you currently working on? How do these relate to “your” SDG?
I am currently working on 2 projects related to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption). Firstly, I have applied for an EU project with partners in the Netherlands and Spain on the topic of how social media can be used to motivate young people to live climate-friendly lifestyles. In addition, together with Dr. Imke Hoppe, I am currently conducting preliminary research into discussions on sustainable nutrition in social networks in various countries. They will serve as the basis for a project proposal. This preliminary research is part of an interdisciplinary research initiative on the topic of sustainable nutrition led by Prof. Dr. Michael Brüggemann and Prof. Dr. Stefanie Kley and currently being funded by the KNU.
How and why did you become interested in this topic?
After having studied journalistic debates on climate issues—and on climate policy in particular—for some time, I was very interested in focusing more on the public perspective of the problem and on understanding why and under what conditions people decide to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. What is more, this allows me to link my 2 main research fields of sustainable communication and (political) communication in social networks.
What activities are you planning as part of the SDG sponsorship? What possibilities do you see in (interdisciplinary) networking with other members of your sponsorship team?
Together with Stefanie Kley, I am already a member of a research network on sustainable nutrition, but would be interested in additional opportunities for interdisciplinary networking with the field of economics.
Is your topic related to any of the 16 other SDGs?
It is clearly related to SDG 13. My other projects on public discussions also touch on issues related to SDG 5 and SDG 16.
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Kley
Faculty: Business, Economics and Social Sciences
Department(s): Social Sciences, Sociology
Profile: Prof. Dr. Stefanie Kley
What are your research areas? What research projects are you currently working on? How do these relate to “your” SDG?
I am conducting a pilot study in Hamburg on how values and attitudes affect nutrition in the context of media usage. This project is part of an interdisciplinary research initiative on sustainable nutrition practices. We want to learn more about what values cause people to become vegetarian, for instance. We would also like to know if they are influenced by information disseminated in the press, on TV, or in social networks.
The connection to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) is clear: the mass of daily decisions we reach on what we eat and how we eat it influences food production and its impact on the environment. No matter how well meaning, individuals can only take just a handful of aspects into account. These include organic farming, animal protection, minimal packaging, or fair trade. We want to learn more about what principles people are guided by and what information they trust.
How and why did you become interested in this topic?
“Nutrition” is a new topic for me. The professorship to which I was appointed in 2016 is related to research on the topic of sustainability. That is why I immediately agreed when Prof. Dr. Michael Brüggemann asked me to contribute to a research project on sustainable nutrition practices.
What activities are you planning as part of the SDG sponsorship? What possibilities do you see in (interdisciplinary) networking with other members of your sponsorship team?
We are planning an international symposium with a workshop in summer 2019 to present the results from the pilot phase for our research on sustainable nutrition practices. In this area of concentration, I am cooperating with Prof. Dr. Kleinen-von Königslöw, who is also a member of my sponsorship team, as well as with 5 other colleagues from different disciplines.
In spring we will apply for research funding based on the results of the pilot phase in Hamburg. We will coordinate our efforts and use the envisaged workshop to obtain constructive feedback from internationally recognized colleagues.
Is your topic related to any of the 16 other SDGs?
Yes, it is related to SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
Prof. Dr. Guido Voigt
Faculty: Business Administration
Profile: Prof. Dr. Guido Voigt
What are your research areas? What research projects are you currently working on? How do these relate to “your” SDG?
Closed-loop supply chain management: the reintroduction of used terminal devices back into the materials cycle. Reintroduction possibilities range from recycling to the refurbishment of end products. Refurbishment, which is what I concentrate on in my research, restores a used consumer product to a condition that can be described as “good as new.” Depending on the respective end product, refurbishment can contribute to sustainable consumption because refurbishment usually requires less energy and is more economical. Current research projects focus in particular on the customer perception of refurbished products. Although these are usually “as good as new,” customers often demand significant discounts for choosing a refurbished product instead of a new one. The objective of this research is to identify the factors that explain this lower willingness to pay for refurbished products.
How and why did you become interested in this topic?
I was introduced to research questions related to closed-loop supply chain management early on by my supervisor Prof. Dr. Karl Inderfurth and quickly became fascinated by the topic. I was especially interested in the refurbishment of products because it can be a good solution to the problems presented by a “throwaway society.”
What activities are you planning as part of the SDG sponsorship? What possibilities do you see in (interdisciplinary) networking with other members of your sponsorship team?
Development of joint ideas on SDG 12.
Is your topic related to any of the 16 other SDGs?
SDG 13 (refurbishment usually requires less energy).