Research on sustainability and environmental communication

In a conceptional paper Hoppe and Wolling (2017) proposed sustainability communication as an analytical framework for environmental communication research. Within this framework different levels of observation and communication are distinguished which allow to structure the research field and to develop a category system that can be used for the systematic analysis of research on environmental communication.

Furthermore the following questions are addressed:

  1. Which events and news factors influence the success of environmental campaignes and environmental organisations in obtaining media attention?
  2. Under what conditions and by what means can communication/reporting on environmental problems and/or environmental protection influence citizens' knowledge, attitudes and actions? Are role models effective?
  3. How can the variance in media coverage on transboundary environmental disasters be explained? Do structural conditions of the affected countries play a role?
  4. How do people use the media before, during and after environmental crises and how can this behavior be explained?
  5. In order to address the critique that environmental protection is at the expense of the socially disadvantaged we ask: How do the media link the issue of social justice (poverty vs. wealth) to the ecological dimensions of the sustainability goals.

Dr. Mira Rochyadi-Reetz

KLIMA Network for Greater Sustainability in Thuringia (KLIMA-N)

Together with colleagues from Erfurt University of Applied Sciences, the University of Erfurt, and Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences, the EMPK is working on a joint project aimed at improving sustainability at the four participating institutions. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space until the end of 2025.

Motivation: Why Higher Education Institutions?

Progressive climate change and the loss of biodiversity are among the most pressing global crises we currently face. As centers of education and research, universities and other higher education institutions help address and solve such complex problems. They train future generations of decision-makers and scientists who will develop new, innovative technologies for sustainable energy resources, materials, and production processes, and propose ways to implement sociotechnical changes.

Project Tasks and Objectives

As part of the KLIMA-N project, the EMPK is carrying out four tasks: First, we have identified stakeholders at the university who are already committed to sustainability—for example, in teaching, research, campus management, and student initiatives—and have reached out to them. Second, we are developing communication strategies that can strengthen awareness, knowledge, and active support for sustainable change at the university. Third, we are creating opportunities for participation to motivate all members of the university to get involved in activities aimed at making the university more sustainable. To this end, we are actively engaged as communicators and participants in the transformation process. At the same time, we evaluate the results of our activities. As a result of this transformative research, we will develop a model that summarizes relevant factors for successful sustainability communication that support the transformation process. Fourth, we will share the results with our partner universities and local partners, who can build their communication activities on our findings.

In addition to research on the role of communication in the university’s transition toward greater sustainability, an interdisciplinary pilot project to improve waste separation on campus is being conducted in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Stephan Husung from the Product and System Development Research Group at the Technical University of Ilmenau.
 

For further information about the project, please contact Prof. Dr. Jens Wolling or Mira Rochyadi-Reetz