Sustainability and the Common Good in Municipalities – Study on Principles, Instruments and Practices Published
Dr. Anke Butscher has written the study “Sustainability and the Common Good in Municipalities” in her function as a Common Good Economy consultant in the International Federation for the Economy for the Common Good in cooperation with ICLEI and the Bertelsmann Foundation. The study analyzes the basics and instruments of a sustainability management in terms of the Agenda 2030 and the Common Good Economy. The focus is on the synergies from the orientation towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (SDGs) and the values of the Common Good Economy. This provides the basis for an integrative approach to profitably link sustainability and the common good in municipalities.
A download of the study in German is available here.
The description and comparison of the fundamentals and instruments of the two concepts is followed by an examination of the respective practices in municipalities. In addition, the possibilities and limitations of an integrative approach are identified. The focus is on an integration of the essential elements of the common good economy into sustainability management in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. The result is a concrete draft for the process of sustainability management at the municipal level including a common good orientation.
The study was accompanied by a discussion group with representatives from municipalities, academia and leading municipal associations under the leadership of Dr. Anke Butscher and Niklas Mischkowski. At two virtual meetings, the participants discussed the approach and its conclusions for municipalities.
Sustainability begins in the communities – where we live and work. The contribution of cities, counties and municipalities to sustainability is central. An integrated management cycle helps transform municipalities toward sustainable development oriented toward the common good.
On the way to a sustainable municipality, corsus advises and accompanies actors at all levels.