Sustainability at Frankfurt UAS: Sustainability Office (BüroN)

Develop know-how, shape attitudes, become ambassadors

As a source of science and education, we have the opportunity to develop solutions for all 17 sustainability goals like no other stakeholder in the Frankfurt/RhineMain region. As an interdisciplinary university of applied sciences, we have been delivering research results that can protect our fragile world for decades.
Each year, we graduate more than 2,000 students from our approximately 70 degree programs. In all students, our faculty seek to ignite the spark of sustainability so that they may ignite that spark into a fire in their future major assignments.
Is that enough? We don't think so, because standing still is taking a step backwards. That's why we want to create knowledge and develop new ideas together with all of you, our students, faculty and staff.

The Office for Sustainability (BüroN) coordinates the implementation of sustainability goals and measures at Frankfurt UAS, which is laid down in a measures plan.
It ensures that activities in study, teaching, research, further education and transfer and in the entire university operation, are coordinated in terms of sustainability. The institutionalized involvement of all university departments ensures that decisions on measures are made and implemented by broad consensus.
BüroN is an initiator and networker: it monitors developments, trends and guidelines and feeds them into the university. As a networker, it takes up ideas - especially from research - and initiatives from the university, examines implementation options and brings together the university members required for this. The formation of working groups within a matrix structure makes it possible to coordinate concerns within the university in order to make the best possible use of synergies and potential.

The goal is to implement sustainability in as many areas of the university as possible in a transformation process.

Sustainability Report 2021

VisibleN | Making sustainability visible

In order to be able to achieve the major goal of CO2 neutrality of Frankfurt UAS by 2030, but also many other goals, indicators as well as key figures must be developed and measurements taken for the areas in which we want to become more sustainable. This is the only way to recognize the effects of one's own behavior, adjust behavior and infrastructure accordingly, and derive new measures if necessary.
An interactive dashboard is used to perform a number of functions. First, the continuous development towards a sustainable university must be made perceptible and visible.
Crucial for the goal-oriented development towards a sustainable university is meaningful monitoring. Where do we stand with regard to which of the goals developed in the sustainability strategy, which Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) are we paying towards with the respective milestones and goals, and which measures should be addressed as a priority?

Little by little, knowledge around the topic of sustainability is bundled in the dashboard as a source of information and inspiration.

In order to make sustainability activities at Frankfurt UAS visible and tangible both internally and externally, high-profile (student) model projects have been and are being carried out.

Learn more about sustainability places and activities on campus:

Bee colonies
Fairtrade-University
Insect hotel
Water station

AwardN

Honoring sustainability activities

Following the principle "From knowledge to action", we honor projects for the realization of measures for more sustainability at the University of Applied Sciences. This is because the excellent implementation of sustainability aspects in teaching, research and development, further education and transfer deserves recognition. Outstanding ideas, projects and initiatives thus gain visibility, serve as inspiration and are an integral part of the implementation of the sustainability strategy.

The following incentive systems are in the planning stage:

SustainAWARD in cooperation with Frankfurt Research and Education Foundation
FairtradeAWARD in cooperation with FAIRTRADE GERMANY
Bee sponsorships

Sustainability Council

The Sustainability Council ("NachhaltigkeitsRAT") is composed of representatives from the student body, the faculties, the university management and administration, and external representatives from business and society. The rules of procedure state that the council acts as a body that accompanies, promotes and supports Frankfurt UAS's path towards becoming a sustainable university.

Students:
- Dennis Pleyer, Faculty 1
- Thorben Buch, Faculty 2
- Milan Tao, Faculty 3
- Sophie Häuer, Faculty 4

Representatives from business and society:
- Pfarrer Dr. Gunter Volz, Pfarrstelle für Gesellschaftliche Verantwortung
- Michael Rüffer, Geschäftsführer Technik und Betrieb / Eisenbahnbetriebsleiter der VGF (VerkehrsGesellschaft Frankfurt am Main mbH)

Faculties:
- Prof. Dr. Annette Kämpf-Dern, Faculty1
- Prof. Dr. Niklas Döring, Faculty 2
- Prof. Dr. Jens Müller-Merbach, Faculty 3
- Prof. Dr. Yari Or, Faculty 4

University management and administration:
- Vice President Prof. Dr. Susanne Rägle
- Dr. Christian Holst (Research promotor Faculty 3)
- Dr. Sabrina Engelmann (BeSt)

In order to sensitize students and university staff to sustainable development and encourage them to contribute to shaping a sustainable society, we organize and participate in events and activities along our slogan „Develop know-how, shape attitude, become an ambassador“.