Guenther, Edeltraud
Director
-
- INSTITUTE:
- UNU-FLORES
- OFFICE:
- UNU-FLORES, Ammonstrasse 74, Dresden, 01067, Germany
- E-MAIL:
- guenther@unu.edu
- PHONE:
- +49 351 8921 9371
- NATIONALITY:
- German
Research Interests
- Barrier analysis
- Environmental management control systems
- Resource Nexus in organisational practices
- Sustainability assessment
Education
- PhD, Economics and Social Sciences, University of Augsburg, Germany (1993)
- Dipl. -Kffr./Business Graduate in Auditing/Controlling, Financial Economics, Mathematical Methods, University of Augsburg, Germany (1989)
Appointments
- UNU Focal Point for the Environmental Management Group (EMG)
- Founder and Head of the Center for Sustainability Assessment and Policy PRISMA
- Chair for Business Administration, Sustainability Management and Environmental Accounting at TU Dresden
Biographical Statement
Prof. Edeltraud Guenther is a globally recognised expert in environmental management and sustainability assessment. She assumed the position of Director of United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES) in Dresden, Germany on 1 September 2018.
Prof. Guenther’s research focusses on sustainability management, environmental accounting, and management control systems, with an emphasis on corporate responsibility, life cycle assessment, resilience, and sustainability assessment. As UNU-FLORES Director, Prof. Guenther is a vocal advocate for “Advancing the Resource Nexus”, which is also reflected in the Institute’s mission to create meaningful impact across the scientific landscape, and to champion the Resource Nexus as a vital scientific perspective.
Prof. Guenther received her doctorate in Environmental Accounting from the University of Augsburg and has held the position of Chair of Business Management, Sustainability Management and Environmental Accounting, at the Faculty of Business and Economics at Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden) since 1996. She founded the Centre for Performance and Policy Research in Sustainability Measurement and Assessment (PRISMA) in 2016 and has acted as the Centre’s Chair since then. As an international authority on environmental resource management, Prof. Guenther has held Visiting Professorships at Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Kobe University, and University of Virginia.
In addition to her involvement on the editorial boards for a variety of scientific journals, Prof. Guenther is Editor-in-Chief for the Sustainability Management Forum (2015), as well as subject editor of the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment (2016). In her own work, Prof. Guenther most notably poses the question “How does it pay to be sustainable?” and is a proponent for promoting the financial benefits of sustainability; this is demonstrated through her significant publication record of over 200 journal articles, and her contributions to several book chapters.
As part of strengthening the connections between UNU-FLORES and the wider United Nations network, Prof. Guenther was also one of the establishing Directors and the first Chair for UNU Water Network, which was initiated in 2019. In 2020, she was appointed UNU Senior Official for the Environmental Management Group (EMG).
Further Information
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Articles
- Roos, Nicolas, Sassen, Remmer and Guenther, Edeltraud (2023). Sustainability governance toward an organizational sustainability culture at German higher education institutions. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 24(3), 553-583
- Junge, Lisa, Adam, Nora, Morris, Jonathan C. and Guenther, Edeltraud (2023). Building a Biodiversity-Positive Circular Economy: the Potential of Recycling Using Industrial Symbiosis. Circular Economy and Sustainability, n/a-n/a
- Orou Sannou, Ramoudane, Kirschke, Sabrina and Günther, Edeltraud (2023). Integrating the social perspective into the sustainability assessment of agri-food systems: A review of indicators. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 39, 175-190
- Georgiou, Isabella, Caucci, Serena, Morris, Jonathan Clive, Günther, Edeltraud and Krebs, Peter (2023). Correction to: Assessing the Potential of Water Reuse Uptake Through a Private–Public Partnership: a Practitioner’s Perspective. Circular Economy and Sustainability, n/a-n/a
- Hatzfeld, Tobias, Schlüter, Dominik, Scope, Christoph, Krois, Konrad, Guenther, Edeltraud, Etzold, Bastian and Curbach, Manfred (2022). Rethinking residential energy storage: GHG minimization potential of a Carbon Reinforced Concrete facade with function integrated supercapacitors. Building and Environment, 224, 109520-n/a
- Georgiou, Isabella, Caucci, Serena, Morris, Jonathan, Guenther, Edeltraud and Krebs, Peter (2022). Assessing the Potential of Water Reuse Uptake Through a Private–Public Partnership: a Practitioner’s Perspective. Circular Economy and Sustainability, n/a-n/a
- Schüttrumpf, H., Stamm, J., Zimmermann, R., Diederich, S., Lindner, A., Guenther, Edeltraud and Karthe, Daniel (2022). Das Global Water and Climate Adaptation Centre. Wasser und Abfall (5), n/a-n/a
- Hatzfeld, Tobias, Backes, Jana Gerta, Guenther, Edeltraud and Traverso, Marzia (2022). Modeling circularity as Functionality Over Use-Time to reflect on circularity indicator challenges and identify new indicators for the circular economy.. Journal of Cleaner Production, 379, 134797-n/a
- Backes, Jana Gerta, Del Rosario, Pamela, Petrosa, Dino, Traverso, Marzia, Hatzfeld, Tobias and Günther Edeltraud (2022). Building Sector Issues in about 100 Years: End-Of-Life Scenarios of Carbon-Reinforced Concrete Presented in the Context of a Life Cycle Assessment, Focusing the Carbon Footprint.. Processes, 18-n/a
- Hillmann, Julia, Bergmann, Anne and Guenther, Edeltraud (2022). Benefits of Building Organizational Resilience: The Case of Climate Change. Highlights of Sustainability, 1(4), 233-252
- Nishitani, Kimitaka, Kokubu, Katsuhiko, Wu, Qi, Kitada, Hirotsugu, Guenther, Edeltraud and Guenther, Thomas (2022). Material flow cost accounting (MFCA) for the circular economy: An empirical study of the triadic relationship between MFCA, environmental performance, and the economic performance of Japanese companies. Journal of Environmental Management, 303, 114219-n/a
- Scope, Christoph, Vogel, Maria and Guenther, Edeltraud (2022). Corrigendum to: Greener, cheaper, or more sustainable: Reviewing sustainability assessments of maintenance strategies of concrete structures. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 30, 1095-n/a
- Gomes, Kamol, Guenther, Edeltraud, Morris, Jon, Miggelbrink, Judith and Caucci, Serena (2022). Resource nexus oriented decision making along the textile value chain: The case of wastewater management.. Current Research in Environmental Sustainability, 4, 100153-n/a
- Jordaan, Sarah M., Combs, Cory and Guenther, Edeltraud (2021). Life cycle assessment of electricity generation: A systematic review of spatiotemporal methods. Advances in Applied Energy, 3, 1-15
- Fietz, Bernhard and Guenther, Edeltraud (2021). Changing Organizational Culture to Establish Sustainability. Controlling & Management Review, 65, 32-40
- Lueddeckens, Stefan, Saling, Peter and Guenther, Edeltraud (2021). Discounting and life cycle assessment: a distorting measure in assessments, a reasonable instrument for decisions. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, n/a-n/a
- Guenther, Edeltraud, Becker-Thierry, Sabine, Nebel, Bastian and Kirschke, Sabrina (2021). Leistungsmessung an der Universität der Vereinten Nationen: Eine Perspektive aus dem nicht-wirtschaftlichen Bereich. Controlling, 33(6), 36-43
- Morris, Jonathan, Georgiou, Isabella, Guenther, Edeltraud and Caucci, Serena (2021). Barriers in Implementation of Wastewater Reuse: Identifying the Way Forward in Closing the Loop. Circular Economy and Sustainability, n/a-n/a
- Karthe, Daniel, Reeh, Tobias, Kempf, Felix, Lee, Halim and Guenther, Edeltraud (2021). Sustainable recovery of tourism in the post-COVID-19 world: Advocacy for a Resource Nexus perspective. Zeitschrift für Tourismuswissenschaft, 13(3), 324-332
- Seidel, Andres, May, Nadine, Guenther, Edeltraud and Ellinger, Frank (2021). Scenario-based Analysis of the Carbon Mitigation Potential of 6G-enabled 3D Videoconferencing in 2030. Telematics and Informatics, 64, 1-15
- Fietz, Bernhard, Hillmann, Julia and Guenther, Edeltraud (2021). Cultural Effects on Organizational Resilience: Evidence from the NAFTA Region. Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, n/a-n/a
- Scope, Christoph, Vogel, Maria and Guenther, Edeltraud (2021). Greener, cheaper, or more sustainable: Reviewing sustainability assessments of maintenance strategies of concrete structures. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 26, 838-858
- Hillmann, Julia and Guenther, Edeltraud (2020). Organizational Resilience: A Valuable Construct for Management Research?. International Journal of Management Reviews, 00, 1-38
- Lueddeckens, Stefan, Saling, Peter and Guenther, Edeltraud (2020). Temporal issues in life cycle assessment – a systematic review. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 25, 1385-1401
- May, Nadine, Guenther, Edeltraud and Haller, Peer (2020). The sustainable use of wood as a regional resource—an ecological assessment of common and new processing technologies for wood poles. Sustainability Management Forum, 27, 177-201
- Bergmann, Patrick, Kamarás, Endre, Gleißner, Werner and Guenther, Edeltraud (2020). Enhanced Cash Flow Valuation in Real Estate Management by Integrating Innovative Materials and Risk Assessment. Sustainability, 12(6), 1-26
- Roos, Nicolas, Heinicke, Xaver, Guenther, Edeltraud and Guenther, Thomas W. (2020). The Role of Environmental Management Performance in Higher Education Institutions. Sustainability, 12(2), 1-17
- Damert, Matthias, Koep, Lisa, Guenther, Edeltraud and Morris, Jonathan (2020). Stakeholders and socially responsible supply chain management: the moderating role of internationalization. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, n/a-n/a
- Curosu, Iurie, Mechtcherine, Viktor, Vo, Duy M. P., Sennewald, Cornelia, Cherif, Chokri, Wölfel, Enrico, Scheffler, Christina, Gong, Ting, Heravi, Ali A., Tamsen, Erik, Balzani, Daniel, Shehni, Alaleh, Häußler-Combe, Ulrich, Fuchs, Alexander, Kaliske, Michael, Scope, Christoph and Guenther, Edeltraud (2020). Impaktsicherheit von Baukonstruktionen durch mineralisch gebundene Komposite: Materialebene. Beton- und Stahlbetonbau, 116(1), 45-57
- Plewnia, Frederik and Guenther, Edeltraud (2020). The Transition Value of Business Models for a Sustainable Energy System: The Case of Virtual Peer-to-Peer Energy Communities. Organization & Environment, 34(3), 479-503
- Walz, Matthias and Guenther, Edeltraud (2020). What effects does material flow cost accounting have for companies?: Evidence from a case studies analysis. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 1-21
- Guenther, Edeltraud (2020). Ökologie – Motor der Ökonomie. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, n/a-n/a
- Huang-Lachmann, Jo-Ting and Guenther, Edeltraud (2020). From Dichotomy to an Integrated Approach: Cities’ Benefits of Integrating Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. Sustainability, 12(18), 1-17
- Lee, Eunjoo and Guenther, Edeltraud (2019). End ‘End-of-Pipe’ Thinking to Gear Up Sustainability Thinking. Green Growth Knowledge Platform, n/a-n/a
- May, Nadine and Guenther, Edeltraud (2019). Shared benefit by Material Flow Cost Accounting in the food supply chain – The case of berry pomace as upcycled by-product of a black currant juice production. Journal of Cleaner Production, 245, 1-17
- Seifert, Christin, Teresa Krannich, and Edeltraud Guenther. 2019. “Gearing up Sustainability Thinking and Reducing the Bystander Effect – a Case Study of Wastewater Treatment Plants.” Journal of Environmental Management 231 (February): 155–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.09.087.
- Plewnia, Frederik, and Edeltraud Guenther. 2018. “Mapping the Sharing Economy for Sustainability Research.” Management Decision 56 (3): 570–83. https://doi.org/10.1108/md-11-2016-0766.
- Guenther, Edeltraud (2018). Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften lohnt sich. Springer Professional, n/a-n/a
- Rotzek, Jan Niklas, Christoph Scope, and Edeltraud Günther. 2018. “What Energy Management Practice Can Learn from Research on Energy Culture?” Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal 9 (4): 515–51. https://doi.org/10.1108/sampj-07-2017-0067.
- Guenther, Edeltraud, Jan Endrikat, and Thomas W. Guenther. 2016. “Environmental Management Control Systems: A Conceptualization and a Review of the Empirical Evidence.” Journal of Cleaner Production 136 (November): 147–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.02.043.
- Rieckhof, Ramona, Anne Bergmann, and Edeltraud Guenther. 2015. “Interrelating Material Flow Cost Accounting with Management Control Systems to Introduce Resource Efficiency into Strategy.” Journal of Cleaner Production 108 (December): 1262–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.10.040.
- Hueske, Anne-Karen, Jan Endrikat, and Edeltraud Guenther. 2015. “External Environment, the Innovating Organization, and Its Individuals: A Multilevel Model for Identifying Innovation Barriers Accounting for Social Uncertainties.” Journal of Engineering and Technology Management 35 (January): 45–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jengtecman.2014.10.001.
- Endrikat, Jan, Edeltraud Guenther, and Holger Hoppe. 2014. “Making Sense of Conflicting Empirical Findings: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relationship between Corporate Environmental and Financial Performance.” European Management Journal 32 (5): 735–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2013.12.004.
- Guenther, Edeltraud M., and Holger Hoppe. 2014. “Merging Limited Perspectives.” Journal of Industrial Ecology 18 (5): 689–707. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.12125.
Books
- Qadir, Manzoor, Unconventional Water Resources, ed. Smakhtin, Vladimir, Koo-Oshima, Sasha and Guenther, Edeltraud (Switzerland: Springer Cham, 2022).
Book Chapters
- Kjellén, Marianne, Sinha, Ranu, Hebart-Coleman, David, Yaari, Elizabeth, Muratore, Enrico, Loeffen, Amanda, Pories, Lesley, Priscoli, Jerome Delli, Garrick, Dustin, Gilson, Gina, Herron, Colin, Guenther, Edeltraud, Jindal, Ambika, Willemart, Sebastien, Webley, Nicole and Kinna, Rémy, “Enabling multi-value approaches in water governance” in The United Nations World Water Development Report 2021: Valuing Water (Paris: UNESCO, 2021), 120-132.
- Koep, Lisa, Morris, Jonathan, Dembski, Nina and Guenther, Edeltraud, “Buying Practices in the Textile and Fashion Industry: Past, Present and Future” in Sustainable Textile and Fashion Value Chains: Drivers, Concepts, Theories and Solutions, ed. Matthes, André, Beyer, Katja, Cebulla, Holger and Arnold, Marlen Gabriele (Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature, 2021), 55-73.
Reports
- Ahnert, Markus, Arndt, Mandy, Barth, Matthias, Beil, Stephan, Börnick, Hilmar, Braeckevelt, Mareike, Fauler, Joachim, Fritsche, Gerold, Guenther, Edeltraud, Helm, Björn, Jaeckel, Liv, Jungmann, Dirk, Koch, Christian, Krannich, Teresa, Lucke, Norbert, Matthies, Cathleen and Minor, Lisa (2021). MikroModell: Entwicklung eines Stoffflussmodells und Leitfadens zur Emissionsminderung von Mikroschadstoffen im Hinblick auf die Wasserqualität Schlußbericht. Qucosa.
- Guenther, Edeltraud, Greiling, Dorothea and Elert Soares, Thiago (2021). Nichtregierungsorganisationen als Träger der ehrenamtlichen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit in Sachsen. United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES).
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- Resource Nexus Perspective on Climate Resilient Agri-Food System: Stakeholder Analysis, Land Management and Business Decisions (KlimaKonform)
- Advancement of developmental policy cooperation between NGOs in Saxony, involving the Entwicklungspolitischen Netzwerks Sachsen e.V.
- Organisational Decision-Making in Water Reuse for Smart Cities (SMART-WaterDomain)
- Analysis and Evaluation of the Sustainability and Resilience of Reinforcement Measures with Novel Mineral-bonded Composites
- Sustainability of Wastewater Management: A Socio-Ecological System (SES) Approach for Textile Industry in Bangladesh
- eku Zukunftspreis 2020: Saxon Dialogue on Biodiversity
- Developing the Biodiversity Economy in selected Landscapes in Namibia
- Barriers to the Adaptation and Implementation of Innovations related to Environmental Resources (water-soil-waste-energy) in Sub-Saharan Africa – the Case of Germany
- Global Water and Climate Adaptation Center – Aachen, Bangkok, Chennai, Dresden
- The social dimension of sustainability in agricultural systems
- Resource Nexus for Sustainability Transformations (NEXtra)
- Barriers to Sustainable Infrastructure: the Case of Chile (SI-Chile)
- Flexible Office: Concept for Resource Optimisation (FLORES)
- Sustainability Assessment for the Resource Nexus – Concepts for Disruptive Innovation: The Case of Construction Materials
- Chair for Sustainability and Textile Innovation – Phase 2
- Role of Participation in Achieving Sustainable and Resilient Agri-food Systems in Face of Emerging External Shocks (CS-NBSS)
- Environmental Assessment of Vertical Farming from a Resource Nexus Perspective
- Sustainability Assessment for the Resource Nexus
- NASCENT – Nexus Approaches to Address Water Security and Climate Change Adaptation
- Sustainability Nexus Forum (SNF)
- Interim Dresden Nexus Conference 2023 (DNCi 2023): A reality check at the regional level – The Implications of the CBD-COP15 for Saxony
- Resilience and Resource Nexus in Food Systems: Case of Tea and Wheat Subsectors in Tanzania