On the Path to Sustainability

"As a technical university, we have a particular responsibility toward sustainable development, both in terms of our research and also the education that we provide," says Professor Ulrich Rüdiger, Rector of RWTH Aachen University. This includes, for example, awareness of our consumption and the effects this has, which was evaluated based on five different criteria in a process lasting almost two years. These criteria involved a university resolution signed by University management and the student body, the formation of a steering committee with at least three members, the procurement of Fairtrade products at regular meetings and public events, and the provision of Fairtrade products at various selling points. The last criterion requires at least two events on the topic of fair trade to be held per semester.

The title "Fairtrade University" makes the University's commitment visible, highlighting how it contributes to sustainable development and takes responsibility for the impact of its own consumption in international growing regions. For example, the University emphasizes the use of Fairtrade products when catering for guests. The certificate was presented to Professor Niklas von der Aßen, Rector's Delegate for Sustainability at RWTH, and the Fairtrade Group by Dieter Overath, Managing Director of Fairtrade Germany, during the Sustainability Days at RWTH. The University works intensively with the Studierendenwerk and the city of Aachen on the topic of Fairtrade.

The challenge of synchronizing a clear understanding of sustainability across all areas at RWTH and encouraging all members to commit to sustainable action as a basis for collaboration was addressed at the beginning of the Mission Statement process. A draft was developed based on open consultations in which all university members could participate. Finally, the Mission Statement was unanimously approved by the Senate and thus by all university groups on July 22, 2021.

The objectives formulated there will be specifically implemented via the “Sustainability Roadmap” – initially covering the period until 2030 – to achieve the mission and achieve the vision. In order to decide on and implement the necessary activities, specific and measurable goals with indicators and corresponding measures have to be defined. The Sustainability and University Governance Staff Unit organizes this process in coordination with the Rector's Delegates for Sustainability and the AStA Department for Sustainability and Student Engagement, on behalf of the Rectorate. Progress reports and updates on current developments are presented and discussed in the so-called GreenTeams.

The finalized roadmap will be presented and approved in the Senate. Continuous reviews of the sustainability efforts form the basis for making necessary adjustments in the event of deviations.

Sustainable Developments Underway at RWTH

Implementing sustainability at a university requires numerous structures within all organizational units. For this reason, the Sustainability and University Governance Staff Unit has been actively driving the development process. Its task is to pool existing sustainability structures, projects, and initiatives and to coordinate and promote their implementation. This also includes providing support to University management when they are preparing to make decisions. As a central contact partner, the staff unit works in close collaboration with all University groups, in particular with students, to coordinate initiatives and strategic targets regarding sustainability.

However, it is not only the staff unit that promotes sustainability at RWTH; the Rectorate also takes on this task by appointing RWTH professors, in particular, to take on individual tasks of strategic importance for the University and carry out representative functions in specific areas. In 2021, the Rectorate appointed rector's delegates for sustainability for the first time in order to help guide the operational sustainability process with strategic planning support. In addition to advising the Rectorate and managing the three GreenTeams – Teaching and Learning, Research, and Operations – they also promote collaborations between RWTH and other universities and networks.

Similarly, the AStA Department for Sustainability & Student Engagement promotes awareness of, and commitment to, sustainability among students and all other university members. The committee is involved in the strategy process in close collaboration with the Sustainability and University Governance Staff Unit.

The goal of the University's internal sustainability network, consisting of sustainability officers from the faculties, central institutions, administrative departments, and student councils, is to create good communication channels and transparent responsibilities for sustainability at RWTH. All stakeholder groups have the opportunity to network and share their ideas in various different formats, such as the weekly sustainability consultation hour, three biannual GreenTeams sessions, or the Sustainability Round Table.

RWTH's First Sustainability Report Creates Transparency

RWTH's first Sustainability Report, issued in an exclusively digital format in 2021, shows where the University is already living up to its responsibility and where it still has areas to develop. The report features six different sections, each one explaining how sustainability is embedded in the University's underlying strategies, its responsibilities, developments to date, and selected current projects. In addition, the report summarizes key figures in RWTH’s various spheres of action and outlines the current situation concerning sustainability activities.

For example, it transparently presents the development of energy consumption and the number of business trips in recent years. This is the first time that the data has been collected centrally, rather than in the individual organizational units. At the same time, the report is intended to shine a light on RWTH's activities in sustainable development.

Professor Ulrich Rüdiger emphasizes in the foreword of the first Sustainability Report: "We all have a duty and a responsibility to shape our world, our region, and also RWTH so that we can hand them over to the next generation in a state that ensures good quality of life and allows that generation the freedom to mold society as appropriate. We generate knowledge, enabling sustainable economic activity!

In our institutions, we carry out research, teach students, and reflect on and further develop existing knowledge on an ongoing basis. Students learn and are empowered to take action, and this requires lively discussions besides generating knowledge.

We are a living laboratory for social innovations. We are part of society and are connected to this society in a number of ways. As a university, we share and discuss our knowledge, but we are also responsible for applying this knowledge in our organization.

We want to be an institution that leads by example. We are transparent about how we are already doing this and where there are areas for development at the University. In this way, we enable university members, in particular, to help shape their university and continuously develop it in a sustainable manner."

– Sustainability and University Governance Staff Unit, Siba Fitzau