People at a conference walking and standing at the entrance of a building. On one side there is a wall displaying the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Photo: André Wagenzik/Andreas Domma © RNE

Coordinating the office of the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE)

Assisting the Council for Sustainable Development (RNE)

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  • Commissioning Party

    Federal Chancellery (Financier) represented by German Aerospace Center as project executing agency

  • Country
  • Overall term

    2014 to 2024

  • Other Stakeholders

    System administrator Jentgens, comon Medienagentur, IMUG, Technische Universität Dresden, GFA Consulting, EXXETA, German Sustainability Award Foundation

  • Products and expertise

    Climate, environment, management of natural resources

Context

The German Federal Government’s Sustainable Development Strategy sets specific targets that are measured with defined indicators. In doing so, it provides guidance to German policy-makers covering long-term economic, social and environmental development. The Sustainable Development Strategy is derived from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

Various institutions – including the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) – provide constructive criticism of the German Government’s Sustainable Development Strategy.

An office in Berlin at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the RNE.

Objective

The RNE independently conducts its activities and programmes to have the greatest possible impact.

Approach

GIZ acts as a service provider for the RNE, for example to organise contracts and staff or to provide IT and office infrastructure. The office at GIZ additionally supports the RNE in independently advising the German Government and implementing projects that drive forward sustainability in practical terms.

Among other measures, the RNE has developed the Sustainability Code, a transparency standard for companies. It provides guidance and supports regular reporting on sustainability performance. GIZ implements the Sustainability Code with project partners from IT, the project office and contracting.

The office at GIZ also works with an IT partner to coordinate the online platform Joint Action for Sustainable Development. The Joint Action platform arose from an initiative by the German Federal Government and the minister-presidents of the German federal states. It shines a light on organisations committed to sustainability and promotes networking among organisations from politics, the private sector, academia and civil society.

Last update: June 2023

Additional information