The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relevance of the discourses on vulnerability and resilience for the German Government’s guiding vision of sustainable development (LNE). The LNE was decisively shaped by the Rio Process in the 1990s and was established with the national sustainability strategy in 2002. While the four guiding principles of "generational justice", "quality of life", "social cohesion" and "international responsibility" are still valid today, the discourse on sustainability has continued to evolve and become more differentiated against the background of current economic, social and technological challenges as well as persistent environmental problems.
The discourses about vulnerability and resilience on the international level are regarded as central elements of future environmental and sustainability policies in the context of development cooperation, climate adaptation and disaster prevention. At the same time much uncertainty and need for discussion regarding the understanding and the role of vulnerability and resilience in the context of environmental and sustainability policies is still present. In order to bring more clarity to the debate, the following analysis will illuminate opportunities and risks of this discourse for the further development of the model of sustainable development in the German context. Therefore the report will stipulate guidance for the political decision making process. .