Research, teaching, resource consumption: University exceeds sustainability targets once again

The sustainability report, which is published every three years, documents how sustainable the university is in its operations (for example in terms of resource consumption) and how research and teaching are developing in terms of sustainability. At the same time, it sets new targets for the coming years. According to the recently published report, the university met or, in some cases, significantly exceeded its own targets in the years 2017 to 2019.

Students: The number of students on sustainability-related degree programmes has risen significantly in recent years and stabilized at 12,400 (around half of all students) in the reporting period.

Research funding acquired (so-called "third-party funding"): The targeted volume of third-party funding for the departments conducting research in the environmental field grew from just under 15 million euros (2016) to 21 million euros (2019).

Resource-conserving operation: From 2017 to 2019, energy consumption fell by 10% for electricity and 7% for heat in relation to the area under management (the target was 1% per year in each case). CO2 emissions per person fell from 324 kg in 2016 to 264 kg in 2019. The goal of increasing the proportion of renewable in-house electricity generation was achieved with the construction of five solar plants, supported by the Kassel-based cdw Foundation. In the meantime, even more systems have gone into operation that have not yet been included in this report.

Social sustainability: In addition to successes in ecological sustainability, the report also refers to progress in social sustainability, for example in terms of accessibility, family friendliness and the advancement of women.

In the coming years, the University of Kassel will significantly expand its measures. On the initiative of the Presidential Board, the Senate recently decided to set up an academic center that will investigate problems and present solutions for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations with up to 17 new professorships. "The establishment of this profile focus will make an internationally visible contribution to the necessary social transformation projects," emphasized the President of the University, Prof. Dr. Reiner Finkeldey. "We expect this center to make top-class research contributions as well as an effective transfer of knowledge into society. Last but not least, we will be able to offer future students even more prospects for their academic and professional careers."

Chancellor Dr. Oliver Fromm added with regard to the environmentally friendly operation of the university: "Despite all the pressing immediate problems currently arising from the coronavirus pandemic, we must not lose sight of this goal. With a combination of structural, technical and organizational measures, the university will make its contribution to reducing the consumption of resources and lowering CO2 emissions. For the next reporting period, for example, the university is aiming for a further and sustainable reduction in its CO2 emissions of at least 2 percent per year."

The printed version of the report will be published these days and is already available at: https://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/universitaet/profil/leitbild-und-berichte

Press contact:

Sebastian Mense
University of Kassel
Communications, Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 561 804-1961
E-mail: presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
www.uni-kassel.de