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.
Sustainable and climate-relevant topics have long been part of courses and research and development projects. Together, we are exploring the question of what the entire university must look like in the future so that graduates can ensure a sustainable world.
BeSt: Roswitha Perret, Dr. Sabrina Engelmann
Campus IT: Wolfgang Kubisch, Carsten Biemann
CHD: Dr. Margit Göttert, Dr. Vera Jost, Jasmin Grünewald
Competence Campus: Anna Bergstermann, Helmut C. Büscher
Construction Department: Barbara Burckhardt, Rajiv Singh Irungbam
Controlling: Wolfgang Schaubruch
Facility Management: Heike Schneider, Sebastian von Behren
Finance: Theresa Acker
FIT: Kristiane Seidel, Dr. Dominik Wolf
HR: Saskia Okamoto, Karoline Nikel
International Office: Andrea Janßen, Adam Lipski
KOM: Julia Höfer-Fuchs, Nadine Näther
Legal Office: Daniela Arnhold
Library: Heiko Schorde, Inke Worgitzki
Marketing: Dr. Daniela Tiedtke-McDermott
QEP: Dr. Christoph Rosenbusch, Dr. Mareike Tarazona, Golo Hermann
Specialized Language Center: Matthew Cohn
StuPort: Ulrike Schmittner, Natascha Hempel
How can we transparently present the progress of a sustainable orientation of our university? How can we supplement - or even replace - the claim of economic efficiency with that of sustainability? How can IT and digitization be put at the service of sustainability? And what do we need to do to make our own actions sustainable? The Governance Working Group is addressing these questions and developing ideas on how existing processes and structures can be rethought and designed with an eye to the future.
Members
Nils Bauer, Fb2 (S)
Prof. Dr. Elizaveta Gardó, Fb3 (L)
Dr. Sabine Geldsetzer, Abt. BESt (M)
Dr. Margit Göttert, Equal Opportunities Officer (M) (Group spokesperson)
Prof. Dr. Veronika Kneip, Fb3 (L)
Prof. Dr. Jens Müller-Merbach, Fb3 (L)
Dr. Christoph Rosenbusch, QEP (M)
Ulrike Schmittner, Stuport (M)
Inke Worgitzki, Bibl (M)
The WG Environment develops the concept for an environmental office, a contact point for environmental projects at our university. Its goal is to create a green campus that takes into account aspects such as microclimate - the climate around the Frankfurt UAS -, deceleration, health, the cafeteria, "green social work" and open spaces. The working group members also focus on diversity (biodiversity and regionality) and equity (Fair Trade University and the establishment of internal university fair trade and ecological standards).
Members
Jérôme Hilper, CampusSports (M)
Natascha Hempel, ZSB (M)
Golo Hermann, QEP (M)
Dana Neva Herrschaft (S)
Sascha Hippert, Fb3 (S)
Prof. Dr. Michael Horstmann, Fb1 (L)
Jürgen Hummel, Fb1 (M)
Marianne Jäger, Fb2 (M)
Prof. Holger Marschner, Fb2 (L)
Lea Menn, Fb4 (S)
Prof. Dr. Yari Or, Fb 4 (L)
Prof. Dr. Volker Ritter, Fb1 (L)
Prof. Erik Röthele, Fb1 (L)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ekkehard Schiefer, Fb2 (L)
Prof. Dr. Hans Jürgen Schmitz, Fb1 (L) (Group spokesperson)
In addition, the WG Society was founded so that we as a university can transport sustainability into (urban) society. It is concerned with the question of how we want to communicate conscious action to the outside world and how we can set an authentic example. In addition, it develops methods to check existing and future cooperations of our university for their corporate philosophy as well as to know that the topics of sustainability and fair trade are taken into account in central procurement and in tenders - even if these are currently not compatible with economical and economical budgets.
Members
Sarah Maria Braun, Fb4 (S)
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Bremm, Fb2 (L)
Prof. Dr. Gerd Döben-Henisch, Fb2 (L)
Kristina Gaiser, Fb4 (S)
Jasmin Grünewald, Diversity (M)
Raul Gschrey, Fb4 (L)
Dr. Vera Jost, Diversity (M) (Group spokesperson)
Prof. Dr. Tine Köhler, Fb1 (L)
Prof. Dr. Michaela Köttig, Fb4 (L)
Angelika Plümmer, Fb1 (L, M)
Heiko Schorde, Bibl. (M)
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schrader, Fb2 (L)
Philipp Senft , BEST(M)
Prof. Dr. Stefan Timmermanns, Fb4 (L)
Prof. Dr. Martina Voigt, Fb3 (L)
The WG is developing a dashboard to make the progress in implementing the sustainability strategy visible. This should serve to inform (each other) and to adjust one's own behavior accordingly. The overall goal of the dashboard is a high degree of topicality and a clear presentation of the data.
Members
Dominik Amend, Fb1 (S)
Sebastian von Behren, HR (M)
Dr. Claus Henrich Bender, Fb1 (L)
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Bremm, Fb2 (L)
Barbara Burkhardt, Stb. construction (M)
Helmut C. Büscher, Competence Campus (M)
Prof. Dr. Gerd Doeben-Henisch, Fb2 (L)
Oliver Gubba, KOM (M)
Natascha Hempel, SuPort (M)
Dana Neva Herrschaft, Fb1 (S)
Sascha Hippert, Fb3 (S)
Julia Höfer-Fuchs, KOM (M)
Dr. Vera Jost, Stb. Diversity (M)
Marianne Jäger, Fb2 (M)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Marschner, Fb2 (L)
Prof. Dr. Jens Müller-Merbach, Fb3 (L)
Nadine Näther, KOM (M)
Prof. Dr. Yari Or, Fb4 (L)
Saskia Okamoto, HR (M)
Roswitha Perret, BeSt (M)
Prof. Dr. sc. Volker Ritter, Fb1 (L)
Dr. Christoph Rosenbusch, QEP (M)
Philipp Senft, BeSt (M)
Ulrike Schmittner, StuPort (M)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans Jürgen Schmitz, Fb1 (L)
Dr. Daniela Tiedtke-McDermott, Marketing (M)
Prof. Dr. Lars Wellejus, Fb3 (L)
Dr. Dominik Wolf, FIT (M)
The WG pursues the goal of carrying out activities to establish the Fairtrade movement at Frankfurt UAS and to offer Fairtrade products. A steering group consisting of Dr. Bert Albers (Chancellor), Konrad Zündorf (Studentenwerk Frankfurt am Main), Sascha Hippert (Chairman of the Student Parliament) as well as Dr. Ulrike Reichhardt (BüroN) and Nadine Näther (Dept. of Communication) is planning future measures in cooperation with the WG.
Members
Marianne Jäger, Fb2 (M)
Franziska Kristen, Fb4 (M)
Nadine Näther, Dept. KOM (group spokesperson) (M)
Katharina Stemmer, Fb3 (M)
Students:
- Faculty 1: Dennis Pleyer
- Faculty 2: Thorben Buch
- Faculty 3: Milan Tao
- Faculty 4: Sophie Häuer
Representatives from industry and society:
- Pastor Dr. Gunter Volz, Pastorate for Social Responsibility
- Michael Rüffer, Managing Director Technology and Operations / Railway Operations Manager of the VGF (VerkehrsGesellschaft Frankfurt am Main mbH)
Faculties:
- Faculty 1: Prof. Dr. Annette Kämpf-Dern
- Faculty 2: Prof. Dr. Niklas Döring
- Faculty 3: Prof. Dr. Jens Müller-Merbach
- Faculty 4: Prof. Dr. Yari Or
Administration:
- Vice President for Research, Further Education and Transfer: Prof. Dr. Susanne Rägle
- Science-Promotor Faculty 3: Dr. Christian Holst
- Dr. Sabrina Engelmann (BeSt)
Sustainability strategy of Frankfurt UAS
Preamble and Vision
We have only one home: the earth. Our goal is to preserve it for all and in perpetuity under livable and democratic conditions.
We recognize the global climate emergency and call it out for Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences.
We align ourselves with the guiding principle "Develop know-how, shape attitudes, become ambassadors", aim to be role models for sustainability and inspire others to do the same. We empower our young scientists to be ambassadors for sustainability in society and business.
As Frankfurt UAS, we are working to solve the human tasks of "climate protection" and "regeneration of the environment" and are guided by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
As a university for opportunities through education and as a stakeholder of the FrankfurtRhineMain region, we take on the implementation of sustainability on a scientific as well as socio-political level.
In studies, teaching, continuing education, research and transfer, we develop solutions for a sustainable world. We use resources responsibly and do not live at the expense of others.
The goal of this strategy is that sustainability permanently guides our thinking and actions.
As a university, we want to implement sustainability as a cross-cutting issue in all courses of study and make it visible. In addition to specialist knowledge, we also impart orientation knowledge on sustainability. We teach students the ability to analyze and evaluate ecological, social and economic issues and to deal with them in the spirit of sustainability.
In weighing the ecological, social and economic concerns of sustainability, we learn to weigh them fairly against each other and against each other and to deal with a possible incompatibility of the aspects. We train our ability to deal with conflict and criticism in order to be good ambassadors for sustainability.
The connection between teaching and research is constitutive for the cross-sectional topic of sustainability.
We create a scientific environment that promotes research on sustainability and qualify young scientists in this interdisciplinary field. With our research results, we provide solutions for a sustainable development of a sustainable world. Frankfurt UAS explicitly supports research projects on sustainability in all its dimensions.
To increase knowledge in the spirit of sustainability, we share our research results wherever possible and make them visible to the public.
We see our university as a source of sustainability and offer the transfer of our knowledge to municipalities, companies, public authorities and other institutions in society. We support them in their transformation process towards more sustainability by accompanying technical, social and institutional innovations. As a university, we offer suitable cooperation and communication formats for transfer services towards more sustainability.
We offer our alumni, university members and the public regular continuing education programs on sustainability.
At Frankfurt UAS, we authentically live our transformation process towards a sustainable university and invite the public and urban society to directly experience the topic of sustainability on our campus.
The well-being of all people on campus is important to us. We ensure health-promoting study and working conditions, for example by providing a wide range of university sports and enabling flexible working and study conditions.
Our goal is to run our entire university operations CO₂-neutral by 2030 at the latest.
As Frankfurt UAS, we see ourselves as a real laboratory and model project for sustainable building, campus and green space planning as well as forms of mobility. Construction measures are planned, tendered and implemented with the goal of CO₂-neutrality. We map resource and energy consumption in order to adjust our behavior and infrastructure accordingly.
Sustainable university operations should be more than just CO₂-neutral. It is also important to take a holistic view of all resources and processes, including the time invested and the personal commitment of each individual. We use all available resources appreciatively in the spirit of sustainability. With this in mind, we are reviewing our administrative and work processes and taking advantage of the opportunities offered by digitization.
We decide on acquisitions and commissions in particular in the spirit of sustainability and thus ensure that sustainability does not fail due to financial feasibility. As a matter of principle, Frankfurt UAS only enters into cooperative ventures with companies and organizations that are committed to sustainability - wherever possible in a verifiable manner. We are striving for certification as a Fairtrade University.
We are establishing an "Office for Sustainability" at Frankfurt UAS. With this office, we ensure that all activities in study, teaching, research, further education and transfer as well as in the entire university operation are coordinated in terms of sustainability. Each department and division of Frankfurt UAS sends a representative as a member of the Office for Sustainability. These representatives meet at least twice a semester to jointly take up the impulses from the entire university, develop them into measures and implement them. In order to adjust our behavior accordingly, the Office for Sustainability reports on current projects, CO₂ savings, and resource and energy consumption on a suitable platform. It submits an annual sustainability report with an inventory and monitoring. This monitoring is based on indicators and milestones defined as part of the action planning.
We provide the Office for Sustainability with the necessary resources.
We establish a Sustainability Council. This meets at least once a year and reflects on our transformation process. The Sustainability Council is composed of
- four representatives from the administration, one of whom is a member of the university management,
- four representatives from the departments,
- four students and
- three external representatives from business and society
and elects a chair from among its members.
In the implementation and further development of the sustainability goals, we foster a participatory culture in which students, faculty, researchers and staff can get involved, and we update the sustainability strategy every two years.
Implementation concept for the sustainability strategy
BüroN | Networking sustainability
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 all 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.
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?
Which indicators and key figures are suitable for measuring the achievement of goals and thus developing meaningful monitoring? How and where must this be presented or made perceptible in order to "pick up" people and reach them? What inhibits and what inspires the achievement of our goals and 111+measures and why?
Little by little, knowledge around the topic of sustainability is bundled in the dashboard as a source of information and inspiration.
As a knowledge pool, the dashboard is an effective tool to transport the (exemplary) transformation process beyond the boundaries of the campus into the urban society, the region and beyond, and to motivate action via understanding - inside and outside the university!
AwardN | Honoring Sustainability
According to the principle "from knowledge to action" AwardN honors projects for the realization of measures for more sustainability at the university. This is because the excellent implementation of sustainability aspects in studies and teaching, research and development, continuing education and transfer deserves recognition. The award makes outstanding ideas, projects and initiatives visible and in this way serves as an inspiration!
The regular awarding of this prize for implementation-oriented activities in the field of sustainability is an integral part of the implementation of the sustainability strategy.
Goals & measures for more sustainability at Frankfurt UAS
The developed goals and measures from the areas
# I. Sustainability in study and teaching
# II. Sustainability in research
# III. Sustainability in continuing education and transfer
# IV. Sustainability in university operations and campus development
# V. Institutionalization of sustainability
are currently being evaluated on the basis of an internal university stakeholder survey (April/May 2022) and the sustainability TALK (May 2022) for classification in the substantiability matrix. Topics are pivotal if they pose opportunities or risks for Frankfurt UAS or associate an impact on people and the environment through UAS activities:
"inside-out": these are sustainability issues on which FRA UAS has a major economic, environmental or social impact (positive or negative).
"outside-in": These topics have a major impact on the activities of Frankfurt UAS, e.g. because they involve significant opportunities or risks.
VisibleN: Learn more about sustainability places and activities on campus here.
- Bee colonies
- Fairtrade-University
- Insect hotel
- Water station
- Symposium "European Climate Policy - between ambition and reality", November 13
- 13. November 2020 | Meeting Club: Fairtrade Friday - Facts and Figures: Die Kampagne Fairtrade University
- 01.-31. October 2020 | Academic Bicycle Challenge
- 25. September 2020 | Fridays for Future: Globaler Klimastreik
- 10. September 2020 | Virtual Sustainability-Talk
- 23. January 2020 | Fairtrade-University: Action Day "Sustainable Together"
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 report
We are pleased to provide you with the first sustainability report of Frankfurt UAS. You will be surprised how sustainably we are already acting today.
At a time when the Corona pandemic threatens to push the global climate crisis out of consciousness, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS) keeps the topics of "climate protection and regeneration of the environment" in its FOCUS. We have adopted our sustainability strategy, which serves as a guideline for implementing concrete measures in studies, teaching, continuing education, research and transfer. It was developed jointly by students, faculty and staff of the university and unanimously adopted by the Frankfurt UAS Senate.
One tangible goal of the strategy is, for example, to make all university operations CO₂-neutral by 2030. Another important step: Frankfurt UAS cooperates in principle with companies and organizations that are committed to sustainability. The requirement of sustainability also decides on purchases and contracts. Frankfurt UAS sees itself as a real laboratory and model project for sustainable building, campus and green space planning as well as forms of mobility and will soon appoint four professorships for sustainability for scientific networking.
You can download the sustainability report as a PDF here.
Contact us
Sustainability Office - Lead
Sustainable energy management and construction, "Energy" model and pilot projects