Page 44 - Sustainability Communication Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Theoritical Foundations

Chapter 3
Sustainability Communication: An Integrative

Approach

Maik Adomßent and Jasmin Godemann

Abstract Sustainability communication is a relatively new concept. Its roots can
be found in a number of different discourses, such as environmental, risk and science
communication. On the one hand these discourses show a number of similarities, for
example a similar thematic focus and the central role of the media. There are how-
ever clear differences concerning their theoretical foundations, political reach and
respective actors. This contribution argues that sustainability communication should
be seen as an integrative approach uniting the core elements of a number of different
communication perspectives.

Keywords Environmental communication • Risk communication • Science com-
munication • Sustainability communication • Integrative approach

An Outline of Sustainability Communication

Despite recent scientific findings on the global environment and the alarming reports
that accompany them, sustainability does not seem to have become a near-term priority
for society. In the process of changing this situation, an important role is given to
sustainability communication. Its goal is to enable individuals and groups to develop
the competences to adequately interpret the often contradictory and confusing scien-
tific, technological and economic information available to them and then be able to
react to and cope with the resulting long-term and complex societal challenges.

M. Adomßent (*)
Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Communication, Leuphana University,
Scharnhorststraße 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
e-mail: adomssent@uni.leuphana.de
J. Godemann
International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (ICCSR), Nottingham University
Business School, Jubilee Campus, Wollaton Road, Nottingham, NG8 1BB, UK

J. Godemann and G. Michelsen (eds.), Sustainability Communication: Interdisciplinary 27
Perspectives and Theoretical Foundations, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-1697-1_3,
© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011