Biodiversity communication at German Airports: a hermeneutic approach

Maresa Reill

Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 2025, vol. 17, issue 2, 364-391

Abstract: PurposeThe global biodiversity crisis demands greater accountability from organisations, yet biodiversity reporting often fails to engage stakeholders or foster transparency. This paper aims to explore how airports communicate biodiversity efforts, emphasising the importance of interactive, two-way communication for enhancing polyvocal stakeholder engagement and accountability.Design/methodology/approachGrounded in Gadamer’s hermeneutic circle, this qualitative study analyses secondary data from 155 documents, including web pages, reports, leaflets and stakeholder magazines of 16 German airports.FindingsAirports use diverse communication formats, including sustainability reports, leaflets and stakeholder magazines, with educational and participatory elements to engage stakeholders. However, a key tension arises between making information accessible to a broad audience and ensuring the transparency and detail necessary for genuine accountability. This study underscores the need for a polyvocal, multi-channel approach that balances stakeholder expectations without compromising accessibility or accountability.Practical implicationsOrganisations can enhance stakeholder engagement and accountability by adopting a multi-channel communication strategy that includes both accessible and interactive formats, fostering meaningful dialogue and improving biodiversity management through context-specific approaches.Social implicationsEngaging local communities, particularly younger generations, through accessible and interactive communication promotes environmental awareness and active participation, strengthening social connections to biodiversity preservation and increasing public pressure on organisations to act responsibly.Originality/valueThis paper offers a novel perspective on biodiversity communication by emphasising various forms of one-way communication and two-way engagement considering polyvocal stakeholders. This study provides new insights into enhancing stakeholder engagement and accountability in biodiversity initiatives.

Keywords: Biodiversity communication; Hermeneutics; Airports; Accountability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:sampjp:sampj-08-2024-0886

DOI: 10.1108/SAMPJ-08-2024-0886

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