Our Key Topics
By taking a holistic approach, we are able to connect the dots and leverage synergies as well as identify and enable collaborations that lead to impactful solutions toward a good life for all.
Our Approach
The Key Topics are generated from over 15 years of experience in the field of sustainable consumption and production and reflect cornerstones of the EU Green Deal and a regenerative economy. They are weaved into all the work we do and are highlighted here to give them more visibility but we don’t approach them in isolation.
We are driven by the ambition to generate positive and long-term impact by approaching sustainability goals as interrelated and not advance one goal for another (a climate action can be focussed solely on CO2 and actually exacerbate biodiversity), but by advancing all goals jointly, in line with key strategic frameworks such as the EU Green Deal and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Digitalisation
purpose
strategy development
digital innovation potential
integrate
#digitalisationwithpurpose #sustainable_digital #innovation #businessmodels #digitalcharta #accessibility #estandards
As a mega trend of our time, digitalisation is a powerful means to enable innovation, accelerate processes, and connect people. On the downside, data can have a huge energy footprint, big data raises many security-related questions, automation makes the need for certain jobs shrink, and the benefits of digitalisation are not made available to everyone equally. The opportunities as well as the challenges call for an interlinkage of digitalisation to other key ambitions, such as sustainability (mitigating climate change, supporting the zero-pollution ambition, protecting biodiversity, decreasing resource waste) or equity (increasing media literacy among all groups in society, reducing existing inequalities). This is why at the CSCP we implement projects collaboratively and approach digitalisation as a means toward more sustainability across different topics, from using Artificial Intelligence to reduce food waste through to leveraging digital tools to drive circular solutions.
→ Projects & CSCP Programmes
“Digitalisation is transforming the way we live and work at an incredible speed. At the CSCP we believe that digitalisation should be led by purpose, that it acts as a means to achieve our societies’ higher goals. This is why we strive to achieve more sustainability through digitalisation, while making digitalisation itself more sustainable.”
Michael Kuhndt, Executive Director, CSCP
Circular Economy
collaboration
sustainable and socially inclusive
consumers’ perspective
circular business models
skills
#EUGreenDeal #CEactionPlan #regeneration #humanrights #climatechange #biodiversity #sustainability #partnerships
We approach circularity as a means to sustainability, not as a stand-alone goal. Discerning between circular and sustainable circular is key when it comes to generating positive impact across all hallmarks: economic, social, and environmental. Products might be (re)manufactured using recycled materials solely, but if produced at a high energy cost or designed to become obsolete, the circular falls shorts of being sustainable as well. Moreover, if consumer insights and behavioural factors are not accounted for —the use phase of products and services often being the most carbon intensive one—circular efforts might not be successful.
We engage with partners across the board toward a fair and sustainable circular transition in line with major relevant frameworks like the German Circularity Act, the European Circular Economy Action Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“If carried out properly, the Circular Economy can help address some the most acute challenges of our time – climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, or resource depletion. No actor can become circular alone. To place circular solutions as an enabler for a better, fairer, and more inclusive society we need to collaborate and take a systemic approach. This is the guiding principle for us at the CSCP.”
Cristina Fedato, Head of the Sustainable Infrastructure, Products and Services (SIPS) Team.
Food
systems perspective
collaborations, transparency and inclusiveness
reduce food waste
behavioural know-how
#EUGreenDeal #farmtofork #regeneration #climatechange #biodiversity #foodwaste
Current food systems are responsible for about one third of the global carbon emissions and part of the root cause to resource depletion, biodiversity loss as well as unfair practices in the value chain. Putting food systems on a clear sustainability path can be a powerful mechanism to mitigate climate change, achieve zero-pollution, protect and preserve biodiversity, and make healthy and sustainable diets available to everyone. In line with major frameworks, such as the EU Farm to Fork Strategy, we work with all actors in the food value chain on topics from reducing food waste, integrating consumer insights or anchoring sustainability across the whole food portfolio of companies.
“Health, functioning ecosystems and good food are key ingredients for a good life. Through fostering closer collaboration and interaction along the value chain and creating more sustainable food choices, our work helps increase the resilience of sustainable food value chains.”
Nora Brüggemann, CSCP Senior Project Manager and food expert.
Climate & Biodiversity
entire value chain or region (scope 1-3)
meaningful goals and criteria
real impact
social impacts
#EUGreenDeal #SDG #regeneration #climatechange #biodiversity #cop15
Biodiversity loss and climate change are two major crises of our time. The goal to mitigate climate change and reduce and reverse biodiversity loss is anchored throughout all of our projects and work streams. Sustainable circular systems can be key to climate change mitigation (also through eliminating waste and pollution), while sustainable food value chains hold great potential when it comes to stopping biodiversity degradation and potentially supporting regeneration. We support these through our hotspot analysis, co-creation of new sustainable business models, or fostering new cooperation among stakeholders.
“When we think about climate change, offsetting carbon emissions and even offsetting biodiversity loss have increasingly become a way to compensate for unsustainable practices. Our focus is, first and foremost, to support improving systems and value chains to decrease their negative impacts and increase their positive ones before addressing meaningful compensation options.”
Alexander Mannweiler, CSCP Senior Project Manager