10 years of EMAS certification The KU celebrates anniversary and remains sustainability role model

Ten years ago, the KU was the only German university to be certified according to EMAS – to date, it is the only one to achieve the "EMASplus" standard.  Compared to the regular "Eco-Management and Audit Scheme" (EMAS) of the European Union, this elaborate auditing procedure, which the KU undergoes voluntarily, extends environmental management criteria to also include social and economic aspects. For Professor Klaus Stüwe, Vice President responsible for the KU's sustainability strategy, it is confirmation that many German universities and colleges are now following suit: "We are pioneers and role models, but above all we are working together towards a greater goal: We want to integrate sustainability into all our actions on campus, in research and teaching and in all areas of the University and thus systematically align overall development with the global goals of sustainability. We hope that more and more universities in Germany will join us on the path to a more sustainable future."

EMAS evaluates KU's environmental performance according to core indicators, such as electricity and water consumption. EMAS is also characterized by a high level of transparency. Environmental issues must be communicated to the public; this includes the annual publication of the validated environmental statement and entry in the EMAS register. Successful EMAS certification also includes involving employees and students in the organization's development process and checking legal certainty. It should be emphasized that EMAS significantly supports the continuous improvement of environmental performance at the KU.

Sustainability at the KU is measurable and visible

EMASplus certification is not just a certificate that is put in a nice frame on the wall. Instead, Frank Zirkl, Sustainability Manager at the KU, believes it is important that the goals achieved are visible to all employees and students and that the successes are measurable. In practice, the EMAS process is a systematic approach to continuously improve the KU's environmental performance. For example, the annually adopted sustainability program formulates and implements specific measures for a total of six areas of action in order to achieve the goals of the sustainability strategy. To mark the anniversary, Zirkl has compiled ten specific measures that exemplify the sustainability goals and demonstrate the success of the KU's sustainability work. Over the past ten years – since the first EMAS certification – the KU's paper consumption has decreased by around two thirds. At the same time, the proportion of recycled paper has been significantly increased, as evidenced by the KU's excellent results in the "Paper Atlas" competition. The KU has been able to save around one third of its electricity consumption since 2015. KU also switched completely to green electricity back in 2012. This has reduced CO2 emissions by around 75 percent. In terms of mobility, the KU combines two different approaches. On the one hand, it is gradually making the company car fleet more sustainable and is increasingly focusing on e-mobility. It also promotes more environmentally friendly mobility with offers such as “Job Rad” (subsidy for employees who want to rent an e-bike) and the "goFLUX" mobility app for carpooling. The change is visible in the outdoor facilities at both locations, where biodiversity is being promoted and is increasing significantly. Sustainability is firmly anchored in the areas of research and teaching as well as in student commitment and transfer. Education for Sustainable Development is now an integral part of research and teaching. The KU has been recognized as a Fairtrade University for several years. This means that fair trade is not only discussed in theory, but is also put into practice in everyday university life. In addition to its efforts in occupational health and safety, the KU is a family-friendly University and is committed to equal rights and promoting women in science. Last but not least, it offers students opportunities to get involved – for example in the Green Office, where students can help shape sustainability at the KU.

With EMAS, the KU has laid an important foundation stone for a sustainable future in the long-term. Thanks also to the EMAS certification process, which the KU has been undergoing continuously for ten years, it is well positioned to meet the current requirements of the Energy Efficiency Act. The law has required an energy or environmental management system since 2023. What represents a major challenge for many educational institutions has been a lived reality for the KU for ten years.