Recently sustainability has become an ever more important part of global business. Since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the publication of sustainability reports, environmental certification, and sustainable products and services have become commonplace in the private sector. The focus on sustainability has given rise to entirely new business sectors, since sustainable products often have higher profit margins. There are good reasons to believe that the next wave of innovations in the world economy will be geared towards resource efficiency and climate friendliness. In short: the economy and the environment do not have to be at odds with each other.

However, a lot still needs to be done to improve the exchange between the scientific and business communities. All too often they find themselves talking at cross-purposes on the subject of sustainability. Sustainability is a key topic in many research disciplines, such as policy, economics, and development. The scientific findings are accessible by the public and often include an ‘executive summary for political decision-makers’. Yet these findings are not usually translated into a form that makes them palpable to the private sector. Would ‘executive summaries for decision-makers in business’ not also be useful?

Can science and business find a common language? What starting points can scientific research offer the private sector on integrating sustainability goals into day-to-day operations? How can research findings be presented in a way that is more accessible to business? These and other questions were explored in a panel discussion, hold on 2 July at the Berlin branch of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Programme

Welcome-Luncheon:

• Welcome Klaus Brückner, Leiter Repräsentanz Berlin, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
• Welcome Stephan Bethe, Referatsleiter, Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
• Introduction: Dirk Messner, Director, German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
• Report from the Rio+20 Summit: Karsten Sach, Deputy Director General, Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit (BMU)

Podiumsdiskussion:

• Dirk Messner (Moderator), German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
• Karsten Sach, Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit (BMU)
• Christoph Beier, Member of the Board, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
• Thomas Sattelberger, Former Member of the Board (until May 2012), Deutsche Telekom AG
• Katharina Tomoff, Vice President GoGreen, Deutsche Post AG
• Manfred Rink, Senior Vice President Corporate Development / New Business, Bayer MaterialScience AG

Q&A