Sustainability at the GIGA

The GIGA sees sustainability as an important guiding principle informing its entire operations. Through its research and other activities, the GIGA strives to support society’s responses to the major challenges of today. Within the political frame of reference provided by the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it aims to focus its research, research-based knowledge exchange, and services on the goal of sustainability. At the same time, it also contributes to the achievement of this goal through the sustainable design of operational and research processes.

The GIGA stands for best research practice, incorporating scientific excellence and social relevance. Many of the UN’s 17 SDGs and their targets are addressed by GIGA researchers in the GIGA Research Programmes. In addition, the GIGA has identified “sustainability” as one of its key strategic overarching themes, closely linked to many of the Institute’s core topics of research. 

The GIGA uses its expertise to promote and develop a better understanding of sustainable development. In doing so, it actively integrates concepts, perspectives, and experiences from different world regions in its Global Approach to Scholarship. Among other sustainability-related topics, Climate Change and the Global South has long been a strong focus in our research.

Regarding sustainability as an organisational goal, our focus is on:  

• sustainability in organisational development,  

• sustainability in research processes,  

• sustainability in personnel management, and 

• sustainability management in the operation of premises and infrastructure, and in procurement and mobility. 

The Executive Board has appointed six team members to form the Task Force Sustainability Management, coordinated by the Managing Director. The group’s mandate is, among other tasks, to propose specific sustainability-oriented measures as well as to give advice and support on all matters related to sustainability management. As a first step, the Task Force suggested a Sustainability Mission Statement for the GIGA, approved by the Executive Board in March 2022.