Sustainable Campus Operations
Operations – Fostering a Sustainable Organization
Our goal is to make campus operations at RWTH Aachen University more sustainable, reducing our environmental footprint in the spirit of climate neutrality, and to actively foster a culture of responsible and inclusive cooperation.
From the Sustainability Mission Statement
Sustainability is considered a central cross-cutting task at RWTH and is therefore considered in all spheres of action and areas of work at RWTH. Three GreenTeams (teaching and learning, research, and operations) have been established in order to implement the commitment to a more sustainable RWTH in everyday university life, as stated in the Sustainability Mission Statement.
Regular meetings, which are open to all university members, enable participation in the further process and ensure that the different perspectives are taken into account in the discussions.
The GreenTeam Operation is led by Professor Niklas von der Aßen, Rector's Delegate for Sustainability. You are welcome to register informally by email.
More information about the GreenTeams and other participation formats can be found under Participation in the Sustainability Process on the Help Build a Sustainable RWTH page.
A sustainable university in all areas - I already emphasized this vision when I applied for the junior professor position at RWTH. I am very pleased that now, as a rector’s delegate, I have the chance to put my words into action and really make a tangible contribution toward a more sustainable university.
Professor Niklas von der Aßen
Coordination
Especially when it comes to campus operations, numerous individuals and organizational units are involved in the sustainability process. They are primarily in the Central University Administration, but also in the many decentralized institutions of RWTH.
The Staff Unit: Sustainability and University Governance is the central point of contact for the topic of sustainability at RWTH. It coordinates a wide variety of sustainable measures and projects in the overarching sustainability process. You are welcome to contact the staff unit at any time with questions, tips, and project ideas related to sustainability. The inquiries and topics are processed in dialog with the various contact partners and/or, if necessary, the appropriate networks are established within the university.
RWTH – Climate Neutral University by 2030
RWTH wants to be a climate neutral university by 2030! RWTH has committed itself to this goal by signing the Race to Zero. More than 1,000 universities from 68 different countries have pledged to halve their emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 at the latest, impacting over 10 million students in total. The initiative, led by the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education and Second Nature, is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme, or UNEP for short.
By signing the Race to Zero, RWTH has pledged to:
- Achieve climate neutrality by 2030.
- Develop a climate protection plan to achieve this goal
- Implement initiatives to achieve this goal, in line with the climate protection plan
- Publish public reports on progress toward the goal as well as on actions taken