This study explored how social aspects for stakeholder engagement are being addressed and incorporated in climate action plans (CAPs). This focus was chosen to address the knowledge gap in research on social conditions for climate action which has been found to provide barriers to achieving deep decarbonisation. The thesis conducted a case study of two cities, Copenhagen (Denmark) and Stockholm (Sweden). Each city’s CAP was analysed through a thematic document analysis that explored through what measures each city aim to achieve stakeholder engagement for local climate action.    Five overarching themes were identified through a literature review and used as an analysis framework: citizen engagement, private sector engagement, stakeholder collaboration, awareness development and advocacy. For both CAPs, the results showed an extensive variation for measures that contributed to each theme. The main findings were that measures should focus on developing collaborations, partnerships, networks, knowledge, awareness, skills, green procurement policies and stricter environmental regulations to support the level of stakeholder engagement needed for deep decarbonisation. Also, to focus on advocation measures, as well as measures aimed at developing knowledge and support to accelerate systematic change. In addition, it was found that cities need to focus on ensuring higher levels of equity and formalize extended citizen involvement for more inclusive and fair transitions. Findings also highlighted similarities and differences between the two CAPs, what lessons could be learned from these and connected these findings to how climate action could be further developed.

The closure of a mine is an inevitable event in the lifecycle of a mining operation and one that can have massive environmental, social and economic consequences for mining communities in particular. The ultimate goal of mine closure should be sustainable development and, while adequate planning, risk assessment and goal setting influence the mine closure process, the relationships between stakeholders, especially those between mining companies and communities, lie at the heart of implementing sustainable closure. Mining communities are affected by nearby mining operations and, although they can enjoy the economic benefits of the industry, they also bear the brunt of the negative social and environmental impacts. The focus on sustainable development and corporate social responsibility in addition to the increased power of communities in recent years has forced mining companies to consider the interests of this stakeholder group. The community‟s perceptions and expectations of sustainable development can, however, differ from those of the mining company and have an influence on the stakeholder engagement process. The current study investigates the mining community of Kagiso‟s perceptions of sustainable development and the implications of these perceptions for the implementation of Mintails Mogale Gold Mine‟s approach to mine closure. Stakeholder engagement issues are brought to the fore and recommendations for improving the engagement between the mine and the community are proposed. / M (Development and Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The closure of a mine is an inevitable event in the lifecycle of a mining operation and one that can have massive environmental, social and economic consequences for mining communities in particular. The ultimate goal of mine closure should be sustainable development and, while adequate planning, risk assessment and goal setting influence the mine closure process, the relationships between stakeholders, especially those between mining companies and communities, lie at the heart of implementing sustainable closure. Mining communities are affected by nearby mining operations and, although they can enjoy the economic benefits of the industry, they also bear the brunt of the negative social and environmental impacts. The focus on sustainable development and corporate social responsibility in addition to the increased power of communities in recent years has forced mining companies to consider the interests of this stakeholder group. The community‟s perceptions and expectations of sustainable development can, however, differ from those of the mining company and have an influence on the stakeholder engagement process. The current study investigates the mining community of Kagiso‟s perceptions of sustainable development and the implications of these perceptions for the implementation of Mintails Mogale Gold Mine‟s approach to mine closure. Stakeholder engagement issues are brought to the fore and recommendations for improving the engagement between the mine and the community are proposed. / M (Development and Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This thesis explores the factors that influence the extent to which the World Wide Web (henceforth web) is utilised by corporations in an environmentally sensitive industry to communicate with their stakeholders in relation to environmental issues. The study initially establishes, in theory, the communication potential of the web and possible factors which can impact on the extent to which this potential is utilised for environmental communication. Subsequently, it examines the use of the web by specific companies in the Australian minerals industry for communicating environmental issues to their stakeholders over time. Explanations for current practices are established through an analysis of the impact of the factors established in theory on web based environmental communication in the Australian minerals industry.¶ A model was established to guide the research process for this study. Drawing upon media richness theory (Daft & Lengel, 1984, 1986; Sproull, 1991; Valacich et al., 1993), the Media Richness Framework was developed to provide criteria for assessing the communication potential of the web. It was also posited that the extent to which this potential is utilised in practice is dependent on management’s web based communication needs. These needs incorporate timeliness, accessibility, presentation and organisation, and interaction. Contextual factors, which include limitations of web based technologies, economic, internal organisational and external stakeholder issues, influence these needs.¶ Case study research (Hagg & Hedlund, 1979; Yin, 2003a, 2003b; Scapens, 2004) was used as the methodological approach for this thesis in order to obtain an in-depth understanding of current web based environmental communication practices. An evaluation of the websites of mining companies was used as the basis for selecting three companies as cases. These cases involved a triangulation of approaches towards data collection: monitoring corporate websites on a regular basis; interviewing appropriate personnel in these organisations; and evaluating documents related to the companies’ environmental communication practice. Data gathered from interviews, websites and documents were analysed for individual cases and then through cross-case comparisons. The intention was to confirm the research model and to potentially extend it through a consideration of other factors not identified in theory but evident in current practices.¶ The findings of this research indicate that even though the web has the potential to enhance environmental communication in an environmentally sensitive industry that is subject to extensive stakeholder pressures, there is variation in its use by companies in the Australian minerals industry. An evaluation of the practices of the three chosen companies highlighted that while the web is used extensively by these companies in comparison with other corporations in the industry, the case study companies were at different stages of web based environmental communication.¶ Management’s web based environmental communication needs and the influence of contextual factors on these needs explained the variation in web based environmental communication across all three companies. Moreover, two other factors emerged from the field; these are referred to as the double-edged sword and change in management philosophy. These findings from the field highlight that the need for communication through the web could have unintended consequences while a change in management could alter the current approach towards web based environmental communication.¶ This study into the use of the web in the Australian minerals industry highlights that the medium has an impact on environmental communication practice. Further research could assess the communication potential of the various media used for environmental communication in order to extend the explanatory power of the current study. This study also outlines arguments in support of extending theorisation in environmental communication. Existing theories for social and environmental accounting, such as stakeholder and legitimacy theory (Roberts, 1992; Lindblom, 1993; Deegan, 2002) need to be accompanied by other theoretical perspectives in order to capture a range of potential factors that could impact environmental communication practices. Such insights could provide a comprehensive understanding of environmental communication in different contexts.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has long been promoted as a means of reducing reliance on pesticide inputs as compared to conventional farming systems. Reduced pesticide application could be beneficial due to the links between intensive pesticide use and negative impacts upon biodiversity and human health as well as the development of pesticide resistance. Work assessing the potential of IPM in cereal production is currently limited, however, and previous findings have generally covered the subject from the perspective of either field trial data or social science studies of farmer behaviour. This thesis attempts to help to address this knowledge gap by providing a more holistic assessment of IPM in Scottish spring barley production (selected because of its dominance in Scotland’s arable production systems), in relation to three of its most damaging fungal pathogens: Rhynchosporium commune, Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei, and Ramularia collo-cygni. Several IPM techniques of potential relevance to the sector were identified, and the prospects of three in particular – crop rotation, varietal disease resistance, and forecasting disease pressure – were assessed in several ways. Preliminary analysis of experimental field trial data collected from 2011 – 2014 across Scotland found that the majority of spring barley trials in this period (65%) did not show a statistically significant impact of fungicide treatment on yield, with the average yield increase due to fungicide application being 0.62 t/ha. This initial analysis was expanded upon using stepwise regressions of long-term (1996 – 2014) field trial data from the same dataset. Here, the difference between treated and untreated yields could be explained by disease resistance, average seasonal rainfall (whereby wetter seasons saw an increased impact of fungicide use on yield), and high combined disease severity. Stakeholder surveying provided information about current practice and attitudes towards the selected IPM techniques amongst a group of 43 Scottish spring barley farmers and 36 agronomists. Stakeholders were broadly open to taking up IPM measures on farm; sowing of disease resistant varieties was most frequently selected as the best technique in terms of both practicality and cost, though individual preference varied. However, a disparity was seen between farmer perception of their uptake of IPM and actual, self-reported uptake for both varietal disease resistance and rotation. Farmers and agronomists also overestimated the impact of fungicide use as compared with the field trials results – the majority of stakeholders believed fungicide treatment to increase yields by 1 - 2 t/ha, while the majority of 2011 – 2014 field trials had a yield difference of under 1 t/ha. The reasons behind these differences between perception and practice are not currently known. Finally, an annual survey of commercial crops, gathered from 552 farms across Scotland (from 2009 – 2015), highlighted two gaps where IPM practice could be improved upon. Firstly, relatively few of the varieties listed in the commercial crops database were highly resistant to the three diseases – 26.1% were highly resistant to Ramularia, 14.2% to Rhynchosporium, and 58.1% to mildew. Secondly, 71% of the farms included in the database had planted barley in at least two consecutive seasons, indicating that crop rotation practices could be improved. The overarching finding of this project is that there is scope for IPM uptake to be improved upon and fungicide use to be reduced while maintaining high levels of yield in Scottish spring barley production. Incorporating experimental field data, stakeholder surveying, and commercial practice data offered a unique view into the potential for IPM in this sector, and provided insights which could not have been gained through the lens of a single discipline.

Title: Designing Communication for Dialogue and Engagement Authors: Christopher Bradson & Sofia Amanuel Level: Master Thesis, 30p  Keywords: Dialogue, Communication Design, Stakeholder engagement, Stakeholder communication, CSR communication.  Background: The changed attitudes about the role of business in today's contemporary society alongside with globalization and the evolved media-information environment has enlarged the pressures on businesses in regards to how they should pursue profitability, while responding to demands about accountability that is motivated beyond financial gain. There is a need for a better understanding about communication choices and how these are perceived by intended stakeholders, in order to accelerate effective communication that initiates stakeholder engagement. Research Questions:(1)How is Volkswagens communication design constructed in creating dialogue and engagement after a corporate scandal with its customers? (2)How does Swedish Volkswagen customers, in attribute of being external stakeholders, perceive the opportunities for engagement based on the four selected Volkswagen tools? What challenges does Volkswagen encounter when trying to create dialogue through these tools? Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to examine how Volkswagen is creating opportunities for stakeholder dialogue and engagement through the theoretical perspective of communication design. By engagement we mean one-way or two-way communication, where stakeholders seek out or take part of communicative messages provided by the organisation.The study aims to examine how Volkswagen has designed their communication efforts, after being subjected to a global corporate scandal which proposed public demands for accountability and responsibility. Theoretical Framework: The framework consists of Communication theories, giving considerable space to literature from theorists Aakhus and Bzdak whom developed the framework for communication design used in this study. Additionally, the framework includes a smaller selection of CSR, Public Relation, and Media research focusing on stakeholder engagement.  Method: We have taken two parallel methodological pathways. The first method involved applying for elements provided by Aakhus and Bzdak framework for reconstructive design, while doing a thematic analysis on the media texts provided by the tools. The second research question was examined by conducting semi-structured interviews with Swedish Volkswagen stakeholders in order to gain a deeper understanding if Volkswagens communicative instruments were enabling engagement.   Findings & Conclusions: Our study concludes that Volkswagen is showcasing constructs in their design that aims to reduce scepticism among stakeholders, addressing important issues for stakeholders, providing solutions and articulating progress in multi-stake issues. Wealso conclude that Volkswagens communication messages are conveyed in a calculated way, with a persuasive nature to create an identity of being a ‘corporate good citizen’.There is a complexity in terms of diminishing scepticism, since stakeholders are being more demanding in today's society, particularly after a corporate scandal such as the one Volkswagen has been subjected to. Stakeholders are becoming more aware that companies are dictating the dialogic discourse, which affects the communication design in what motives a company incorporates in their communication. We conclude that customers felt that the opportunities to engage with the company was fairly low, and highly depended on how they where processing the nature of the messages (intrinsic/extrinsic),as well as how they defined engagement from personal beliefs and values.

The transport sector is making slow progress towards sustainability, particularly given the urgency and scale of the sustainability challenges associated with the sector and the number of solutions that exist. This thesis uses a three-phase research methodology to identify and provide guidance to help address the barriers preventing the expansion of one of the most rapidly growing transportation alternatives: electric vehicles. The engagement of stakeholders can act as a strategic point of intervention to address these barriers and facilitate the regional market introduction of the technology. A process was therefore developed to help project management in the pre-project planning phase to address the key challenges to engagement that are commonly experienced on electric vehicle projects. The process combines a Strategic Sustainable Development approach with Best Practice for Engagement. Information was sourced from literature and interviews with experts in electric vehicles, stakeholder engagement and Strategic Sustainable Development. Initial feedback from testing the process on an electric vehicle project indicates that this guidance is timely and likely to become widely applicable on similar projects in the future.

The alternative food movement claims varied goals such as building environmental sustainability, strengthening local economies, and promoting health equity, yet critics argue that the movement’s transformative potential is threatened by a lack of shared vision. Literature suggests that community-based multi-stakeholder coalitions are a useful tool for building consensus around food systems futures. But what kinds of futures? Home Grown Springfield is a school food initiative aimed at reducing hunger in Springfield, MA by serving healthy, homemade, and locally-sourced meals via the Culinary and Nutrition Center, a brand-new full-service commercial kitchen and storage facility. This qualitative case study examines the engagement process of the Culinary and Nutrition Center’s Advisory Council, a multi-stakeholder coalition convened in 2018 to guide the project. The engagement process was envisioned by the Springfield Food Policy Council, Springfield Public Schools, and Sodexo, and funded by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation. Research findings suggests that engagement of diverse actors promotes expanded project visions, which results in more holistic, progressive, and potentially transformative food systems change. In addition, it reveals challenges around the process of authentic community engagement and the dynamics of power-sharing between project leaders and community members. This research has multiple objectives: 1) to document the first year of the Advisory Council’s process for its own reflection; 2) to demonstrate the need for planners to help facilitate diverse cross-sector engagement for more holistic and progressive regional planning; and 3) to highlight the critical need for community leadership and decision-making in planning for sustainable and equitable community development.

I och med det ökade fokuset på hållbarhet ställer intressenterna ökade krav på information. Freemans (1984, s. 25) definition av begreppet intressent ligger till grund för utveckling av tidigare forskning inom ämnet. Begreppet intressent är brett, vilket har lett till att begreppet problematiserats. Majoriteten av företag väljer idag att tillämpa en hållbarhetsredovisning i syfte att visa transparens och bemöta väsentliga intressenters förväntningar.  Hållbarhetsredovisning har traditionellt sett varit frivilligt i Sverige och tillämpats genom självreglering. Från och med den 1 juli 2016 är det krav på att de största företagen i Sverige ska hållbarhetsredovisa. Lagkravet grundar sig i att regeringen ansåg att intressenter idag finner hållbarhetsfrågor alltmer aktuella och att investering i företag även grundar sig i detta. Det finns flertalet organisationer som tagit fram principer och riktlinjer för hur hållbarhet ska redovisas. Global Reporing Initiative (GRI) är ett av de större internationella ramverk som kan användas av företag för att upprätta en hållbarhetsredovisning.  Syftet med studien är att lyfta fram huruvida de fyra största bankkoncernerna i Sverige väljer att engagera sina intressenter i sina hållbarhetsredovisningar och huruvida engagemanget har förändrats över tid. Studiens resultat ska bidra till ökad kunskap om bankernas sätt att engagera sina intressenter i arbetet med hållbarhetsredovisning. För att kunna besvara syftet och forskningsfrågorna har vi använt oss av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys på respektive banks hållbarhetsredovisningar samt en ordanalys med kvantitativa drag, för samtliga undersökta år. De årtal som behandlas i studien är år 2010, 2012, 2017 och 2020. De valda åren möjliggör en kartläggning av förändringar i bankernas hållbarhetsredovisningar under en längre period. Samtliga analyserade banker upprättar sina hållbarhetsredovisningar i enlighet GRI:s riktlinjer.  Studiens resultat gör det möjligt att dra slutsatsen att samtliga banker som studerats har enlikartad syn och kategorisering av sina intressenter. En andra slutsats är att majoriteten avbankerna har valt att identifiera och engagera sina intressenter och deras förväntningar främstgenom väsentlighetsanalyser och intressentdialoger. Detta förklaras och uppges ligga till grundför utformningen av hållbarhetsredovisningen. Den sista slutsatsen är att tre av fyra analyseradebankkoncerner har utökat sitt intressentengagemang över de analyserade åren. Förändringengör sig tydlig genom de antal gånger de mest väsentliga intressentgrupperna förekommer iordanalysen som presenteras i studiens resultat. / Due to the increased focus on sustainability, stakeholders place increased demands on information. Freeman's (1984, s. 25) definition of the term stakeholder is the basis for the development of previous research in the subject. The concept of stakeholder is wide, which has led to the concept being problematized. The majority of companies today choose to apply a sustainability report in order to show transparency and meet the expectations of key stakeholders. Sustainability reporting has traditionally been voluntary in Sweden and applied through self-regulation. As of 1 July 2016, the largest companies in Sweden are required to report sustainability. The legal requirement is based on the fact that the government considered that stakeholders today find sustainability issues increasingly relevant and that investment in companies is also based on this. There are several organizations that have developed principles and guidelines for how sustainability should be reported. The Global Reporing Initiative (GRI) is one of the major international frameworks that can be used by companies to prepare a sustainability report. The purpose of this study is to highlight how the four largest banking groups in Sweden choose to engage their stakeholders in their sustainability reports, and how the commitment has changed over time. The results of this study will contribute to increased knowledge of the banks' ways of engaging their stakeholders in the work with sustainability reporting. In order to be able to answer the purpose and research questions, we have used a qualitative content analysis of each bank's sustainability reports and a word analysis with quantitative features, for all surveyed years. The years covered in this study are 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2020. The selected years enable a mapping of changes in the banks' sustainability reports over a longer period. All analyzed banks prepare their sustainability reports in accordance with GRI's guidelines. The results of this study make it possible to conclude that all banks studied have a similar view and categorization of their stakeholders. A second conclusion is that the majority of banks have chosen to identify and engage their stakeholders and their expectations primarily through materiality analyzes and stakeholder dialogues. This is explained and stated to form the basis for the design of the sustainability report. The final conclusion is that three out of four analyzed banking groups have increased their stakeholder involvement over the years analyzed. The change is made clear by the number of times the most significant stakeholder groups appear in the word analysis presented in the study results.This study is written in Swedish.

Summary in English and Afrikaans / CSR has become a priority for many key businesses, particularly in light of codes of practice such as the 2009, The King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa 2009 (often referred to as King III Report). Effective CSR is dependent on efficient communication between and with stakeholders and businesses, yet the quality of these communications is seldom evaluated. While the literature emphasises the importance of stakeholder engagement, little attention is given to the communication processes used during stakeholder engagement. This study asserts that Integrated Communication (IC) offers a multi-pronged approach for engaging with an organisations’ diverse stakeholders and, when incorporated holistically, aligns CSR throughout an organisation. This study uses a framework drawn from IC theory as a means of analysing the efficiency of stakeholder engagement within Anglo American South Africa (AASA), a company explicitly dedicated to CSR. A single embedded case study research design is employed, including a review of main CSR documents used by AASA, interviews with key communications staff, as well as a focus group on site with key staff members. The research revealed that although AASA is in many ways doing a laudable job in terms of stakeholder engagement, there are key points at which their efforts break down. This is due, in most part; firstly to a lack of integrated awareness throughout the broader business of what constitutes its stated CSR agenda; and secondly to a lack of executive power within the communications department of the business. It is suggested that by following the proposed IC framework, and investing key communications personnel with executive power rather than merely supportive responsibility, the effectiveness of AASA’s stakeholder engagement would be improved. This would improve the likelihood of an effective strategic CSR’s success, and be of value to the organisation. / Korporatiewe Maatskaplike Verantwoordelikheid (KMV) het 'n prioriteit geword vir baie belangrike besighede, veral in die lig van gedragskodes soos die 2009 derde King verslag oor korporatiewe bestuur. Effektiewe KMV is afhanklik van doeltreffende kommunikasie tussen en met belanghebbendes en besighede, maar die gehalte van hierdie kommunikasie is selde geëvalueer. Terwyl die literatuur beklemtoon die belangrikheid van die betrokkenheid van belanghebbendes, is min aandag gegee aan die kommunikasie- prosesse wat gebruik word tydens die betrokkenheid van belanghebbendes. Hierdie studie voer aan dat Geïntegreerde Kommunikasie (GK) 'n multi-ledige benadering bied vir die aangaan met organisasies se diverse belanghebbendes en, wanneer holisties opgeneem, lyn 'n organisasie deurgaans in met KMV. Hierdie studie maak gebruik van 'n raamwerk wat uit GK teorie as 'n middel van die ontleding van die doeltreffendheid wat met belanghebbendes binne Anglo American Suid-Afrika (AASA) uitvloei, 'n maatskappy uitdruklik gewy aan KMV. 'n Enkele navorste gevallestudie is gebruik, insluitend 'n oorsig van die belangrikste KMV dokumente, onderhoude met sleutel kommunikasie personeel sowel as 'n fokusgroep met belangrike personeel op die terrein. Die navorsing toon dat alhoewel AASA is in baie maniere om 'n lofwaardige werk in terme van die betrokkenheid van belanghebbendes handhaaf, is daar belangrike punte waarop hul pogings kort kom. Dit is te danke oorsaaklik; eerstens 'n gebrek aan geïntegreerde bewustheid regdeur die breër organisasie wat sy verklaarde KMV agenda uitmaak, en tweedens 'n gebrek van die uitvoerende gesag in die kommunikasie-afdeling van die besigheid. Daar word voorgestel dat die voorgestelde GK raamwerk kruis organisatoriese bewustheid van AASA se KMV agenda sou bevorder, en die organisasie dwing om belangrike kommunikasie personeel te belê met uitvoerende gesag eerder as bloot ondersteunende verantwoordelikheid. Dit sal op sy beurt die doeltreffendheid van AASA se betrokkenheid verseker. Die waarskynlikheid van strategiese KMV se sukses te verbeter, en van waarde wees vir die organisasie as geheel. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)