Sustainability is a broad topic and a concept that is hard to define. Looking at the UN SDGs, sustainability is defined as both an environmental, institutional, social and economic problem.

In Denmark research on sustainability is accross in many areas within many sciences. Research involves climate change, global development, equality and CSR. This research is divided accross many different research centers and -groups on several Danish universities. Overall transparency is needed: What are overall tendencies in the Danish sustainability research, what are similarities across the universities and what collaborations are possible?

CSR Forum will now dig into the academic world of sustainability in Denmark. In an upcoming publication we will try to map out the research done in the broad field of sustainability. The goal is to create an overview for leaders of the universities, companies and government and thereby enable new synergies.

So far we have looked at the universities in the greater Copenhagen area from the outside – the information that is available online. The leaders of all of them have expressed the importance of sustainability and responsibility in education and research. Looking at the research centres and units, we have found the following:

  • At Copenhagen University they have created a cross-faculty centre for sustainability that focus on uncovering climate change and creating sustainable solutions and multiple levels through different sciences. At the faculty of law there is also a centre for corporate responsibility.
  • At RUC, research is done in social entrepreneurship, development, equality as well as environment.
  • At The Danish Technical University of course take the technical approach and research includes the areas of bio-sustainability en environmental engineering.
  • At Copenhagen Business School CSR is in focus as well as corporate governance as development

As we can see, the topic of development spans across both RUC, KU, and CBS. Environment and climate is a cross institutional focus as well. Our next step is to reach out to the universities to look into their view on their focuses in the sustainability area and the possibilities and challenges in new collaborations between the institutions as well with as other sectors.

Are you a researcher or in the management of a Danish university, we would love to hear your input on the topic – email us at csrforum@csrforum.dk.

Posted by:

Laurits Christensen