Meta analysis – Political and economic sustainability strategies

The "Meta analysis" project was part of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s key theme of "Innovative political fields of action for sustainable development". A "Sustainability Atlas" was drawn up as part of the project, giving a national and international overview of a range of state and corporate sustainability strategies. The (meta) concepts of sustainable development which are at the heart of political and economic sustainability strategies were identified and categorized, and the relevant mechanisms for embedding these strategies within institutions and corresponding implementation measures were investigated.

The project also focused in particular on the question of the extent to which state (including regional and local authority) and corporate sustainability strategies influence one another. It examined similarities and differences between the two sectors, and highlighted potentials for transfer from the state to the corporate sector (and vice versa). A further aspect of the project investigated how different sustainability strategies affect innovation policies and programmes, and/or how they are integrated within them. During the course of the project, 32 descriptive case studies for the state and corporate sectors were carried out, as well as 12 in-depth analytical studies.