Communication for Sustainability (C4S)
Communication for Sustainability (C4S): Local Authority Sustainability Communication
Cities and local authorities are key players in the transition to sustainability – yet their communication strategies have so far been little studied. The C4S transfer project brings together research from three universities with teaching and research projects and provides regular practical guidance for local authority communications officers.
| Project team: |
| Duration: since spring 2025 |
Local authorities as agents of transformation
Cities and local authorities make a significant contribution to sustainable transformation: as planning bodies, role models and communicators. At the same time, they face a unique set of challenges in their communication work: significantly fewer resources than businesses, but an enormously broad stakeholder landscape, ranging from the local population to political committees and civil society actors. Despite this importance, municipal sustainability communication has so far been the subject of very little systematic research.
Approach: Research, research-based teaching and knowledge transfer
C4S links three levels:
The participating academics conduct research on local sustainability communication at their respective universities and actively contribute this research to discussions with practitioners.
In parallel, teaching research projects are being developed within the communication study programmes at the three universities: students carry out their own empirical studies on aspects of local or regional sustainability communication and use these to develop concrete recommendations for action. The C4S team motivates and supports these projects.
Knowledge transfer to the practical sphere is facilitated by regular online events aimed at communications officers in local authorities, climate protection managers and communications consultants working in this field. Here, findings from research and teaching-based research are presented, discussed and linked to practical experience reports and case studies. These sessions also serve to foster networking within this community.
Objective
C4S aims to systematically deepen the understanding of local authority sustainability communication and to translate this knowledge directly into practice. This should better equip communications officers in local authorities to communicate strategically – and thus actively promote sustainable transformation in their communities.
The community is to be expanded gradually, and other universities are also welcome to join.
activities
Climate campaigns in European cities
Sustainability on Instagram: Freiburg, Heidelberg and Wiesbaden
Communication about cycling in Leipzig and Darmstadt
Challenges and opportunities in sustainability communication
Local Authority Climate Communication – The Potential of External Communication
Oldenburg’s ‘Amtinfluencer’ campaign
Change Agents and Communities
