My university is doing something!

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... that the University of Kassel has already written its third sustainability report? - that it uses 100% green electricity? - that it has already equipped its fleet with 7 electric motor vehicles and one hybrid and purchased 15 e-bikes? - that there is a binding resolution for the use of Blue Angel paper?

The University of Kassel is already contributing to the implementation of the 17 global sustainability goals with many improvement measures. In the section "Did you know?" it provides an overview of its sustainable development and presents examples of measures already implemented for climate protection, efficient use of resources and reduction of waste and emissions.

Overview

Waste

The university has a motto "Clever minds separate!". With a waste management concept, the university wants to make a contribution to sustainable management and to the careful consumption of resources. Valuable and residual materials are collected separately at the university and, depending on the type of waste, are either recycled or disposed of.

What else you can do:

What else you can do:

  • A color-coded system makes it easier to separate and assign the different waste fractions: Paper (blue), light packaging (yellow), organic waste (brown) and residual waste (black) .

In the offices

  • The paper baskets in the offices are for waste paper only. They are emptied weekly as part of the cleaning process.

In the tea kitchens

  • Bins are provided here for light packaging (DSD/green dot) organic waste and residual waste. They are emptied daily during cleaning.

In the copier rooms

  • Larger containers for waste paper are available here. They are emptied daily by the cleaning service provider.

Building entrances/foyers

  • In the foyers and access areas of buildings with a high turnover rate, triple collection systems are available for paper, lightweight packaging (DSD/green dot) and residual waste.

Outdoor areas

  • Residual waste containers are available throughout the outdoor areas. Containers for lightweight packaging (DSD/green dot) and waste paper are also provided near cafes and auditorium centers.

Procurement

Equipment exchange of the central materials management

A sharepoint has been set up for obsolete, functional or repairable equipment and items (e.g. PCs, printers, toners, office furniture, etc.). Items and equipment can be posted here with a photo for further university-internal use. Registration is done via the university account. 

University competition paper atlas

The University of Kassel participates in the university competition Paper Atlas and used 39.85% recycled paper in the administration in 2020 and in 2021; 29.72% recycled paper with the Blue Angel. Compared to the previous year, the university has saved paper and further reduced the recycled paper ratio in administration. In the future, the University of Kassel plans to increase the proportion of recycled paper. University publications are predominantly printed on Blue Angel paper. There is a service instruction / binding resolution for the use of Blue Angel paper.

Sustainable aspects in procurement regulations

1 f) Consideration of sustainable aspects (environment, energy saving, waste avoidance).

The procurement regulations of the University of Kassel were amended in January 2022. Based on the sustainability guidelines, which were introduced by a resolution of the Presidential Board, an addition to the consideration of sustainable aspects has been made.&nbs

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What else you can do:

  • What you can still do(UBA, 2020):

  • Digitization of documents and scan-to-email save paper and archive space.
  • Information on the Internet makes some archiving unnecessary.
  • Take waste paper to its destination on foot or by bicycle. This will save you additional fuel costs from transporting it by car.
  • The same applies to recycled paper: use it sparingly.
  • Use both sides of the paper.
  • If you have a printer, use the duplex function (two-sided printing) and the reduce function (print 2 pages on 1 page).
  • Green printing software removes blank pages and unnecessary information from the file being printed.

In addition:

Energy

100% green electricity

Under the joint electricity supply contract of the state of Hesse, the university purchases 100% green electricity, which is certified to come almost entirely from hydropower. Through the successful project Intracting, various measures to reduce energy consumption or to generate their own electricity could be implemented within three years. The portfolio of initiated projects ranges from the installation of new LED lights and the renovation of heating circuit distributions to the replacement of pumps and fans. As part of the cooperation with the cdw Foundation, seven PV systems with a total output of 362 MWh/a have now been installed and put into operation.

Mobility

The University of Kassel has increased its share of e-mobility in the vehicle fleet and purchased 15 e-bikes, 7 electric cars and 2 hybrid vehicles. The charging infrastructure for e-cars will be further expanded and, where possible, made accessible to employees. Bicycle parking facilities for cyclists and e-bike riders will be improved. In addition, a free state ticket is available for employees. Co2 emissions from business trips are offset.

Michael Müller-Görnert, Transport Policy Officer at the VCD

Passenger cars account for 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from transport in Germany. Ambitious CO2 limits are a key lever for reduction. The current requirements for new cars must therefore be continuously developed.

Michael Müller-Görnert, Transport Policy Officer at the VCD

What else you can do:

What else you can do:

  • Prefer telephone and video conferences to business trips
  • Give preference to climate-friendly means of transportation (bus and train are superior to car and domestic airplane in their climate footprint)

The AStA also has a variety of offers:

Location Witzenhausen:

Biodiversity

The city habitat, and thus also the campus, provides an important habitat for animals and plants. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Körner has been dealing with this topic for a long time and has been educating the campus more strongly as an ecological niche in the city by means of suitable planting concepts. These activities, as well as the CampusGarten, are now to receive more support, and an overall open space planning concept is to be developed for increasing biodiversity on the campus as well as the outdoor locations. For ecological and climate-ecological reasons, measures in the area (green roofs, permeable pavement, green spaces, trees) are to be provided, which ensure a reduction of inner-city heat islands and increase the quality of stay. In addition, insect hotels and bat and bird nesting boxes are planned in the concept development.

Water

A sustainable use of water means that we manage our water consumption with mindfulness. Because no one can yet estimate the consequences of climate change. Particularly in the summer months, there may be longer and longer periods of low water, which will have an impact on groundwater formation. Since the pollution load in many near-surface aquifers is increasing, the deeper-lying groundwater supplies should be conserved. Within the project "Climate adaptation measures and open space management", strategies and measures for rainwater management are therefore to be developed, whereby, in addition to unsealing, combinations of rainwater utilization and downstream infiltration systems are aimed for.

What are we doing?

The Green Office is also concerned about the sensitive use of water. It wants to create an awareness and appreciation for the resource of drinking water and has been recognized by a tip:tap e.V. as a "tap water-friendly office". In addition, a drinking water dispenser was installed in front of Lecture Hall 1 in the Campus Center. The tap water is checked regularly and saves a lot of waste and CO2. Because when water comes directly from the tap, it doesn't have to be transported far.
 

Events

Over several semesters, the University of Kassel has produced a guide to sustainable event management via the project study "Teaching for a Sustainable University". The guide contains useful tips and suggestions on the various fields of action of a sustainable event organization as well as an attached checklist.

Building

The University of Kassel is building, growing and developing into a "campus university". Here, too, sustainable development plays a role in all of the university's new construction, expansion, renovation and building maintenance projects, for which it has developed so-called "qualities and standard specifications" . These framework conditions are intended to maintain high-quality buildings, strive for sustainable planning and construction, push measures for climate adaptation and a reduction in energy consumption, and support the climate protection goals of the University of Kassel and the Hessian state government.

Environmental Research

At the University of Kassel, more than 130 disciplines research and teach directly on sustainability issues. A large part of these disciplines have joined forces in the Environmental Network. There are some designated research institutions, such as the Center for Environmental Systems Research (CESR), which is a focal point of interdisciplinary systems-oriented sustainability research at the University of Kassel. Since 2022, it is part of the Kassel Institute for Sustainability, which bundles the broad range of research and teaching related to ecological, economic and social sustainability. Up to 17 new professorships will strengthen these specialist focal points and further develop them in diverse collaborations with the scientists at the University of Kassel.

Environmental Science

The number of students in sustainability-related courses has risen steadily in recent years. Each semester, there are around 30 subject-integrated courses with service learning. And there are international programs with an environmental science focus, such as the International Winter University and the International Summer University.