Scholz declared: “The Council for Sustainable Development advises the federal government on all matters of sustainable development. With their individual professional backgrounds, the 15 members represent the economic, ecological and social aspects of sustainable development.”
“Alongside its advisory role, the Council also promotes the subject of sustainability in society and among the general public – most recently through the Joint Action for Sustainable Development, an initiative it coordinates on behalf of the government and Länder. In so doing, it makes a vital contribution to our country’s future. With the German Sustainable Development Strategy, the federal government is committed to achieving the goals of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; the strategy serves as a guide for the policies of the federal government”, the Chancellor continued.
Moving forward, the 15-strong Council will consist of 9 women and 6 men.
New to the Council are:
- Prof. Dr Katrin Böhning-Gaese (Director Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, professor at the Goethe University Frankfurt and member of Leopoldina)
- Zarah Bruhn (German social entrepreneur, Commissioner for Social Innovation at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF))
- Katja Dörner (Mayor of Bonn; 2009–2020 member of the German Bundestag)
- Tanja Gönner (Director General of the Federation of German Industries (BDI)); 2002–2004 member of the German Bundestag, then Minister for the Environment, Nature Protection and Transport of the state of Baden-Württemberg until 2011; 2012–2022 Chair of GIZ Management Board)
- Reiner Hoffmann (2014–2022 president of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB))
- Prof. Dr Mark G. Lawrence (scientific director of the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS); honorary professor at the University of Potsdam)
- Prof. Dr Kai Niebert (President of the German League for Nature and Environment (DNR))
- Myriam Rapior (Vice President German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND e.V.))
- Dr Franziska Tanneberger (Director of the Mire Centre, University of Greifswald, former co-chair of the Future Council of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania)
The following members are reappointed:
- Saori Dubourg (Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE)
- Jörg-Andreas Krüger (President of the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU))
- Hubertus Paetow (President of the German Agricultural Society (DLG))
- Gunda Röstel (Commercial Managing Director Stadtentwässerung Dresden AG, Procurator GELSENWASSER AG)
- Dr Werner Schnappauf (former Bavarian State Minister of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection, former CEO and Member of the Presidium of the Federation of German Industries (BDI))
- Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul (former member of the German Bundestag, former Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development)
Members are appointed by the Federal Chancellor for a three-year term. They elect their chairperson from among their number.