Ever since the German government adopted the national sustainability strategy in 2002, the guiding principle of sustainable development has been firmly anchored in German politics. Nevertheless, the successes have fallen far short of the requirements. It was therefore particularly important to strategically develop the guiding principle further. The "Sustainability 2.0" research project initiated by the Federal Environment Agency contributed to this.

The researchers carefully analysed previous experiences with the mission statement, its strengths and weaknesses. They also scrutinised current discourse to determine the extent to which it provided inspiration for a "sustainability mission statement 2.0".

The project comprised a detailed analysis of previous experience with the guiding principle of sustainable development - particularly in the German context - drawing on the analysis and suggestions of other relevant guiding principles and discourses. On the basis of this analysis and with the involvement of relevant expertise from external experts, recommendations were then drawn up on how the guiding principle could be modernised and thus renewed and strengthened in terms of its connectivity and effectiveness.