TU Bergakademie Freiberg is one of 15 universities in the Forum for Climate-Friendly Universities (Zukunftsforum klimafreundliche Hochschulen, ZKH). Students and staff are working on a climate protection concept and thus outline the path to a sustainable campus. Over the next three years, the funding will consist of training, counselling and exchange within the network. Aim of the project is to reduce the university's own greenhouse gas emissions by at least ten per cent. In addition, the university's own climate protection concept is to be developed and implemented.
"For TU Bergakademie Freiberg as a resource university, climate protection is a very central topic not only in research and teaching. We also want to make our very own contribution as a university institution. In concrete terms, this means that over the next two years we will gradually analyse greenhouse gas emissions, develop climate protection measures and draw up a climate protection concept," says Professor Andreas Horsch, Vice-Rector for Sustainability and Communication at TU Bergakademie Freiberg.
Successful start with kick-off event
As part of a participatory process involving all status groups, TU Bergakademie Freiberg has been working hard since mid-April 2024 to determine the status quo of sustainability activities at the university, draw up a greenhouse gas balance sheet, develop effective measures and much more. The project kick-off provided an opportunity for everyone involved to get to know each other, exchange ideas and lay the foundations for successful collaboration. Participants were informed about the goals and planned activities of the project and had the opportunity to actively contribute and share their visions for a sustainable future for the university.
Since September 2021, the university has had an Environmental Officer (internal) in the person of Junior Professor Maximilian Lau. He is supported by the Advisory Board for Environmental Management. This works together with various people and institutions within and outside the university, ensures networking, promotes concrete measures and regularly reports on the progress made.
Smaller and medium-sized universities to become climate role models
Funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, the "Future Forum Climate-Friendly Universities" is an interdisciplinary project dedicated to promoting climate protection and sustainability at universities. It is being carried out in cooperation with netzwerk n e.V., HNE Eberswalde and the University of Vechta. The project aims to support 15 universities across Germany on their way to creating and implementing climate protection concepts in line with the whole institution approach.
Information and enquiries: Prorectorate Sustainability & Communication, Christin Oltersdorf, zkh-tubaf [at] tu-freiberg [dot] de (zkh-tubaf[at]tu-freiberg[dot]de), Tel.: +49 3731 39-4349