Greentech LIVE Beate Gebhardt University Hohenheim Sustainability Awards
An incentive for progress or resting on one’s laurels – the University of Hohenheim’s AK BEST deals with the advantages and background of CSR awards.
“There needs to be role models on the path to transformation.”
“We do too little for good and too much for bad. “We are not moving forward or increasing the sustainability transformation,” said Dr. Beate Gebhardt of the University of Hohenheim. at the Greentech.LIVE Conference 2023 (FALL Edition) “A lot of resources are needed for this. There needs to be best cases and role models.”
The AK Business Excellence and Sustainability Transformation, or AK BEST for short, is affiliated with the university. Its goal is practice-oriented research on the excellence of companies in the context of sustainable development.
TrendingGreentech.LIVE Conference 23.-24.11.2023 (Fall Edition)
Awards research on sustainability transformation
In addition to a stakeholder dialogue and looking at markets for high-quality food, this also includes awards research.
“Sustainability awards are awards given to companies that focus on corporate social responsibility,” explains Dr. Gebhardt.
The question that arises from this is whether the awards contribute to sustainability transformation and what needs to change for further improvement in this area.
Greentech LIVE Conference 2023 Beate Gebhardt Sustainability Awards
Sustainability awards provide companies with platforms
Sustainability or CSR awards, explains Dr. Gebhardt, differed from other innovation awards due to their basic definition. CSR awards are intended to combine ecology, social issues and economics.
The winners of the award competitions do not receive certifications, but are highlighted with an award.
“We have a variety of awards that always aim to reward a winner and provide a platform for them,” concludes Dr. Gebhardt.
Sustainability awards attract winners with communicative elements
Awards would have two effects. On the one hand, providing information about best practices to the outside world, combined with promoting the image of participants. On the other hand, motivating employees and stimulating learning and data collection processes within the company.
The first effect is particularly interesting for the participating companies.
“It is primarily the communicative elements that companies are asking for, namely having a label for communication,” explains Dr. Gebhardt. She continues: “But what really surprised us is the topic of the individual evaluation – where does the company stand in comparison to its competitors. Having the option to develop further is definitely a goal.”
AK BEST develops CSR Award Finder
However, there is a major problem with the whole issue of a lack of transparency.
Firstly, with civil society. Many consumers, says Dr. Gebhardt, only a few people know about awards and the lack of knowledge means doubts about their credibility.
In 2019, the AK BEST counted 141 awards. This multitude also leads to a lack of overview for companies.
“It is difficult for companies to identify a competition as credible and to find one that is a good fit for their own profile.”
The AK BEST therefore developed the so-called CSR Award Finder. The finder is intended to provide an overview of the CSR world. The tool provides users with free filters and displays the characteristics of the awards so that companies can find the awards that are relevant to them.
Don’t rest on your laurels, just make further progress
In addition to the positive progress that awards offer, they are still subject to some criticism. A few studies show negative effects, especially in the financial area, in the misuse of funds, according to Dr. Gebhardt. However, she classifies the criticism as smaller elements.
Against this background, her wish is to progress.
“That the award-winning companies must continue to show in the future that they are developing further,” she says, “and not standing still at the point for which they were awarded.”