The environmental auditor confirmed that the KU had successfully put into practice an extensive environmental program since the first certification. The program introduced intelligent technology for heating control to lecture theaters and seminar rooms which regulates energy input depending on how many students are in the room. Furthermore, the university started to build a central infrastructure for printers in order to be able to refrain from buying new devices for individual offices. Since last year, the KU has exclusively used recycling paper for printers and copiers. By switching from natural gas to biogas alone, the KU was able to reduce its CO2 emission by more than 17 percent. In addition, the KU uses district heating and electricity from wind power and thus largely refrains from using fossil energy sources. The step-by-step transition to LED technology and the promotion of energy awareness among members of the University continuously reduced electricity consumption by more than six percent over the last six years – despite the fact that both building area and the number of employees have risen.
For the next three years to come, the KU has determined new objectives: The canteens in both locations of the KU will examine how the use of food from fair and sustainable production can be increased. Furthermore, a special mowing concept will be designed to create insect-friendly green areas on the campus.
For further information regarding sustainability and details of the current environmental statement of the KU, please access www.ku.de/unsere-ku/nachhaltigehochschule/umweltmanagement