Compliance with environmental and social standards in production, as well as companies’ approaches to responsible supply chain management (upstream), have now become an integral part of the dialogue between the business community and stakeholders on corporate responsibility. Far less prominent in active and visible debate, however, is the responsibility of companies regarding the use of their products and services (downstream), as well as the responsibility of customers and consumers in selecting and using them.

Anyone discussing corporate responsibility in a globalized society must take all societal actors into account and consider all stages of the value chain.

Participants and speakers at the 2018 Nauen Talks discussed the challenges and opportunities arising from this perspective on the value chain with representatives from business, consumers, and politics.

To kick things off, Dr. Philipp Hübl made it clear in his keynote address that it is very difficult for individuals to change their behavior in the interest of sustainability—even if they are already aware of the issue of sustainability. However, the human focus on short-term benefits is too strong, impulse control is too weak to forgo short-term pleasure for long-term benefit, and the level of abstraction is too high when it comes to actions with a relatively small individual contribution and very distant or unclear causality regarding sustainability.

As possible solutions to this dilemma, Dr. Hübl emphasized the societal importance of education—particularly critical scientific thinking—and the role of international intergovernmental treaties in securing the future.

In her presentation, Karen Haman added a psychological perspective to the topic and emphasized that, on a personal level, in addition to mere awareness of the problem, there is a need to acknowledge individual responsibility—as well as the conviction that one’s own actions can make a difference (self-efficacy). Following this, the two keynote speakers discussed with the participants the concrete implications of this analysis for corporate sustainability strategies.

The workshops on the second day focused on the responsibility of consumers and companies:
In the workshop on the consumer perspective, for example, the discussion centered on consumers’ individual options for shaping more responsible use of products and services, as well as the traditionally shaped consumption structures that hinder both the supply and consumption of sustainable products. To ensure that consumers’ existing socio-ecological awareness is matched by actual sustainable consumption, a mere reference to individual ethical responsibility is not sufficient.

In addition to classic value chain issues such as social and environmental production conditions at home and abroad, companies must increasingly address the actual and potential use of their products and services, as well as their significance and added value for society. In the workshop on corporate responsibility, for example, the question was raised as to which products should no longer be offered in the future and how quickly business models can be adapted

Participants also suggested rethinking the concept of “product”—moving away from the coexistence of individual products from different companies toward a cross-industry solution for specific societal challenges. Furthermore, the importance of internal management structures and their evolution was discussed—a transformation toward a more open, creative work environment in which innovation and the development of new business models are increasingly valued. The discussion concluded with the realization that collaboration among all stakeholders—businesses, policymakers, and civil society—is essential.

In the concluding keynote, Kerstin Andreae emphasized that societal change toward more sustainable resource use can only succeed in partnership with the business sector. Policymakers must take bold action, particularly on sustainability issues, present demand-driven concepts, and create planning certainty for all stakeholders. A dialogue on equal terms is a fundamental prerequisite for this.