The term sustainability plays an important role in our society today. After an initial prioritisation of the economic dimension, a combined consideration of the three dimensions of sustainability - ecology, economy and social issues - has developed over time. As a result, companies must also increasingly address the issue of sustainability and adapt to changing market and customer needs as well as the demands of interest groups for non-financial information. Furthermore, a large number of guidelines and regulations are increasingly leading to the mandatory preparation of sustainability reports, which calls on companies to adopt sustainable behaviour. As the influencing factors of the three dimensions of sustainability affect the entire company, the individual sub-areas, especially production, are also affected. This master's thesis is therefore limited to the individual dimensions of sustainability in the area of production and analyses how contributions can be made in the individual dimensions towards increased sustainability. Based on a comprehensive literature review, the first part of the thesis dealt with the topic of sustainability in general. In addition to an introduction and definition of terms, various models of sustainability were discussed in more detail. Furthermore, different interactions between the dimensions of sustainability were considered, and the topics of sustainable production and reporting on the topic of sustainability were dealt with. Based on the method of qualitative content analysis combined with a frequency analysis, this thesis also includes an analysis of sustainability reports from ten companies in the automotive industry. Based on the results of the analysis and the literature, recommendations for action towards sustainable production are also derived in order to support companies in the introduction and expansion of sustainable production. In the course of this thesis and by analysing the three dimensions of sustainability, it was possible to determine that there are various interactions within and between the dimensions that present companies with different challenges. By analysing sustainability reports, it was also possible to investigate the extent to which the companies studied make contributions in the individual dimensions towards sustainable production. It was found that the companies use recognised, generally applicable frameworks and standards when preparing sustainability reports. Finally, based on the results of the analysis and the literature, various recommendations for action were derived to support the companies both in the introduction and expansion of sustainable production.
Handlungsempfehlungen in Richtung einer nachhaltigen Produktion auf Basis einer Analyse von Nachhaltigkeitsberichten
Kirchstetter, S. (Author). 2024
Student thesis: Master's Thesis