Understanding of Sustainability
The University of Freiburg understands sustainable development as a continuous process towards an ecologically viable and socially just society in a liberal democratic basic order, in which the needs of present and future generations are taken into account. As formative actors in the social discourse, universities are called upon to make a contribution to the necessary societal transformation towards responsible stewardship of our planet and a socially just society.
The University of Freiburg sees its central task here as generating and teaching sound knowledge on environmental topics and societal challenges, offering and exemplifying solutions, and thus acting as a driving force on the path to a sustainable society. At the same time, the University of Freiburg stands up for the fundamental values of open science and freedom of research.
As an educational institution, the University of Freiburg is particularly responsible for educating its graduates in such a way that they
- contribute to sustainable development on the basis of their knowledge,
- identify and communicate possible solutions to societal challenges,
- orient themselves in the interdisciplinary field of discourse on sustainability and reflect on possible conflicts of interest between ecological, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development, and
- can continually extend and use their knowledge.
In daily life at the University of Freiburg, sustainable development also means
- ensuring efficiency in teaching and research by promoting innovation, interdisciplinarity, and cooperation (economic sustainability).
- reducing the negative effects of University operations on the environment as much as possible. The University must apply acquired knowledge to achieve climate neutrality and strive to make positive contributions (ecological sustainability).
- creating an attractive and participatory environment for the long term and an inclusive university culture. An essential element of sustainability is to support the diversity and creativity of all University members and to enable them to develop to their full potential. Among other things, this means creating an appreciative, gender-equitable, family-friendly atmosphere at the University and offering safe and healthy workplaces (social sustainability).
The social, economic, and ecological aspects of sustainability are inextricably linked. The University of Freiburg therefore promotes scholarly debate and responsible reflection on all these aspects, especially on the ways in which they are interconnected. It implements findings and solutions in the best possible way as a living lab, providing a model for private and public actors.
The University of Freiburg sets itself the goal of firmly establishing a sustainability mindset and embedding it in all decision-making processes. Students and employees must be sensitized and encouraged to examine their own actions and to contribute to sustainable development on campus and in society themselves.
The University is committed to the understanding of sustainability developed by the joint project HOCHN, which defines the areas research, transfer, operations, and governance and names specific goals and measures for each of them.
Governance
In the overarching field of governance, the University of Freiburg’s Sustainability Compass aims to firmly anchor sustainability thinking and action in all University structures and to embed sustainability in all decision-making processes as a cross-cutting issue.
The Vice Rectorate for Internationalization and Sustainability, established in 2021, and the Sustainability Council, established in 2022 as an advisory think tank, provide the opportunity to network and consolidate previously fragmented groups and measures to achieve a university-wide, overarching governance for sustainability.
In cooperation with all status groups, the University of Freiburg seeks to network and strengthen the sustainability goals and measures of the fields of activity named in this compass – governance, research and transfer, studies and teaching, social responsibility, and operations –establishing in this way a comprehensive culture of sustainability at the University. In connection with this, the University aims to sensitize students and employees to the issue, get them involved, take up their suggestions, and continually improve the University processes together.
For example, the Student Sustainability Office, newly institutionalized in 2023, already serves as a central point of contact for all students who want to help shape a sustainable future at the University, contribute ideas, and drive their implementation forward.
Goals
- Strengthening governance for sustainability across fields of activity through institutionalized structures and dialogue involving all status groups
- Engaging in targeted internal and external communication, continuously monitoring the University’s sustainability activities, and tracking the implementation of measures through annual environmental reports and triennial sustainability reports
- Strengthening student involvement in the area of sustainability and strengthening exchange between students and the University, for example through the Student Sustainability Office
Research and Transfer
In the field of research and transfer, the University of Freiburg aims to generate knowledge on societal challenges, offer viable solutions, and implement these solutions through mutual exchange with actors from business, politics, and civil society. The University is characterized by the fact that it offers both well-founded and outstanding basic research and innovative applied as well as inter- and transdisciplinary research.
The University of Freiburg is one of the most research-intensive universities in Germany on sustainability-related issues, with steadily increasing international visibility. This is reflected in its performance in the areas of publications and third-party funding, particularly in relation to the sustainable development goals (SDG) ‘good health and well-being’ (goal 3), ‘affordable and clean energy’ (goal 7), ‘sustainable cities and communities’ (goal 11), ‘climate action’ (goal 13), and ‘life on land’ (goal 15). In the key research area ‘Pathways to Sustainability’, the goal is to build on this research strength and further develop the University’s research profile in a targeted manner. Research on sustainability issues that follows a systemic approach is of central importance in this context..
Transfer plays a key role that is closely linked to future-oriented research. As a university combining a broad spectrum of disciplines, the University of Freiburg is particularly well positioned to contribute to the common good in terms of sustainable development by practising dedicated sustainability transfer. Dialogue with society is of great importance for answering questions about the future, including both the dissemination and communication of knowledge, technologies, and methods to external actors and the proactive consideration of social demands regarding social, economic, and ecological issues.
Goals
- Strengthening the research profile in the field of sustainability through stable institutionalized structures that promote both sustainability-focused basic research and applied inter- and transdisciplinary research
- Intensifying networking between existing formats of sustainability research and transfer and linking them with one another
- Strengthening the international visibility of the Upper Rhine region in the field of sustainability, for example through the establishment of the Sustainability Innovation Campus, which pursues the goal of developing and implementing systemic sustainability innovations, particularly by promoting applied inter- and transdisciplinary research and transferring it to practice
- Attracting outstanding researchers in the field of sustainability and increasing the visibility of this research, e.g., through the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship
- Promoting researchers in critical and interdisciplinary sustainability research at early stages in their careers, for instance by further developing the Young Academy for Sustainability Research to strengthen the future of research in this field
- Strengthening international and regional cooperation in sustainability research, for instance within the context of the Eucor Sustainability Focus Area under the University of Freiburg’s leadership, as well as by networking with global partners that strengthen and complement us as multilateral research & academic gateways
Studies and Teaching
As a training institution for future thinkers and shapers of society, the University of Freiburg also understands sustainability as an important element of teaching. The University of Freiburg wants to enable all its students to address the challenges of the twenty-first century in a constructive way and contribute to sustainable development. Inspiration from the students should also be included in this process.
Sustainability knows no disciplinary boundaries, and the teaching of competencies in education for sustainable development requires the integration of different specialist perspectives and the inclusion of practical social knowledge.
The University already offers a wide range of degree programmes and courses with a sustainability focus that correspond both thematically and methodologically to the concept of sustainable development. The Sustainability Certificate, introduced in 2021, enables students from all fields of study to grapple with sustainability issues of the twenty-first century in an interdisciplinary context and to cultivate a sense of social responsibility. In addition to the existing and planned sustainability-focused degree programmes and the Sustainability Certificate, the University will devote itself in the coming years to the very ambitious but essential goal of integrating sustainability aspects into all curricula.
Goals
- Promoting the sustainability competence of students through the targeted expansion and further development of the University of Freiburg’s course offerings on sustainability issues, with the goal of educating all University of Freiburg students on the foundations of the topic of sustainability in the course of their studies
- Developing new inter- and transdisciplinary teaching formats that meet the needs of current and future generations
- Broadening various perspectives by expanding joint teaching with international partners in the field of sustainability, e.g., expansion of the Sustainability Certificate within the context of University of Freiburg partnerships and further development of Eucor/EPICUR offerings in the field of sustainability
Operations
In view of the University of Freiburg’s understanding of sustainability, it is imperative that the University not only integrate environmental protection and sustainability into teaching and research but also apply its knowledge to University operations and thus serve as a model. An overarching goal of the University is to greatly reduce the negative environmental impact of University operations and strive for positive contributions without diminishing the quality of research and teaching. Operations at the University of Freiburg are aligned with its institutional environmental guidelines, which were originally established in 2007 and updated in a participative process in 2020.
On the ambitious path to climate neutrality, the University passed a comprehensive and innovative Climate Protection Plan for building management in 2022 with the involvement of many actors, with concrete measures for achieving the goals set out in the Federal Climate Change Act.
Goals
- Achieving net greenhouse gas neutrality by 2030 in accordance with the strategy of the State of Baden-Württemberg, in close cooperation with the Property and Construction Office
- for example by implementing the Climate Protection Plan with realizable and measurable means of reducing CO2, especially in the fields of electricity and heat, and by drawing up a mobility plan for the field of sustainable mobility as a supplement to the Climate Protection Plan
- Strengthening sustainable mobility, including the use of sustainable means of transport on the way to work (e.g., public transport, bicycle) and the reduction of emissions from business trips, for example through guidelines for sustainable mobility
- Further developing sustainable procurement and resource recycling (circular economy)
- Creating incentives for sustainable action in daily University operations