Levis Lerner wins Sustainability Award by the City of Mannheim

Levis Lerner was honored by the City of Mannheim for his outstanding master’s thesis in the Mannheim Master in Management program.

The Sustainability Award recognizes final theses that contribute to promoting sustainable development – particularly in relation to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and their relevance to the City of Mannheim.

In his thesis titled “(Thought) Leadership in Sustainability Reporting: How Business Schools Can Practice What They Preach,” Lerner developed carbon footprints for the University of Mannheim. He presented three key reports – a carbon balance sheet, a CO₂ profit and loss statement, and a CO₂ cash flow statement – and derived concrete recommendations for the university’s decarbonization strategy. The results were presented to the Vice President for Sustainability and serve as a solid foundation for future emissions reporting.

The idea for the thesis emerged during his work at the Mannheim Institute for Sustainable Energy Studies (MISES), where Lerner received valuable input as a student assistant. A research stay in Oxford and supervision by a member of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) also shaped his work.

The award, endowed with €500, was presented in the council chamber of the City of Mannheim by Mayors Thorsten Riehle and Dirk Grunert.

Back