de

Systematically developing sustainability: KU publishes new sustainability report

[Translate to Englisch:] Garten

Ten years ago, the KU adopted its first sustainability concept. “No other university in Germany reports on its activities in so much detail and so continually”, says Ina Limmer, Sustainability Officer at the KU. In the current issue, readers also gain insight into a long-term commitment that the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt as a whole has been pursuing since 2010. Keeping an eye on the University as a whole is what makes the KU one of the leading institutions of higher education. In higher education, the awareness for the challenges of sustainable development is increasing and with it the demand for our expertise of many years”, says Professor Dr. Anne-Kathrin Lindau, the Sustainable Development Coordinator at the KU.

EMASplus
Successful re-certification according to EMASplus criteria: The KU remains the only university in Germany to have undergone this complex evaluation process.

This systematic view is based on six fields of action - from governance (i.e. processes and structures) to research and teaching to campus management, student initiatives and the area of transfer. A sustainability management of this kind, which comprises ecology, social and budgetary aspects, was one fundamental reason why the KU to date is the only university in Germany to have received the EMASplus certification. Last year, it was able to successfully re-certify. EMASplus diverts the focus of attention to issues such as human rights in supply chains. A KU procurement guideline ensures compliance with human rights. A catalog of criteria makes sure that the KU steers clear of human rights transgressions, child labor and exploitation of laborers when purchasing office supplies, furniture or technical equipment.

Moreover, the KU was again awarded the title of Fairtrade University last year. It got the title for the first time in 2017. Systematically anchoring sustainability in the University as an institution is one reason for the title, in combination with a wide range of fair trade products in the University’s catering, as snacks in meetings or in vending machines.

With the new Green Office, which has now been established at both KU campuses, the University has created two places of networking that explicitly also address the general public. The Green Office in a former shopfront in the Ostenstraße in Eichstätt and the Wissenschaftsgalerie in Ingolstadt’s pedestrian no-car zone are central points of contact and communication. Anyone who wants to get involved in sustainability issues will receive specific advice in the Green Office – from referral to KU experts, contact with possible cooperation partners in the region to the planning and implementation of events and projects. In addition, interested parties can borrow various materials from the Sustainability Office – for example on the sustainability goals of the United Nations or a sustainability quiz on the ecological footprint.

Nachhaltigkeitsparcours
Sustainability trail at the Landesgartenschau Ingolstadt

Last year, the state garden show Landesgartenschau gave the University the forum for direct discussions on the topic of sustainability. Visitors were able to exchange opinions at the KU pavilion and the sustainability trail that was developed in a joint project by the KU, the THI and the Institut für Angewandte Nachhaltigkeit (INAS). You can experience the trail on the exhibition grounds and also online at www.nachhaltigkeitsparcours-ingolstadt.de.

In addition to campus operations and public dialog, the KU also devotes itself to sustainability issues in teaching and research. The supplementary program in Sustainable Development that was instated in 2019 has found a ready market. Dozens of additional lectures and courses of other degree programs, be it theology or business and economics also address the issue of sustainability. A table in the recent report lists these contributions. In order to strategically link these manifold research activities across disciplines, the KU established the platform “KU Sustainability Research Lab” (KU.SRL) last summer. It is against this background that in the foreword to the Sustainability Report, Professor Dr. Gabriele Gien emphasizes the fact that more than just climate research is needed to combat global warming. She writes: “Social sciences, political sciences, psychology, education or communication studies are also called upon to contribute to a transformation.” After all, the public must not only support necessary measures, but rather get active in their own sphere of influence.

A long-term strategy to achieve sustainability requires a long-term view. With the Sustainability Concept that sets the course for up to the year 2030, the KU has its own long-term strategy. It is complemented by the sustainability program for 2022 with its short-term objectives. These objectives range from even better international networking to the development of new program options to inspecting remaining roofs and facades for their potential as green roofs and green walls.

The new sustainability report and more detailed information on the KU’s commitment can be found at www.ku.de/nachhaltigkeit.

Back to overview
Legal notice Privacy Policy