Die räumliche Nähe von Akteuren zählt in der nachhaltigen Entwicklung: Das Beispiel des lokalen Umweltmanagementansatzes Ökoprofit

The literature often points out that the local and regional political levels are important for achieving sustainable development objectives. However, it is not sufficiently clear in what this importance consists. Looking at the example of the Ökoprofit management approach, the article discusses indications that towns, cities and regions do indeed show a specific capacity for facilitating sustainability owing to the spatial proximity of actors. Local authorities are in charge of implementing Ökoprofit projects in which companies engage in environmental management. The article draws empirically on the case of an Ökoprofit project carried out in Dresden, examining the social mechanisms at work.