Procurement

For award procedures such as catering and paper, sustainability aspects are included in the evaluation and are therefore given a higher priority. A description of the structural set-up with regard to sustainable procurement at RWTH can be found in the first Sustainability Report.

Sustainable product requirements

The catering framework contract partners are obliged to offer an alternative for coffee, black and green tea, and cocoa that is certified with the Fairtrade seal. In the RWTH Purchasing Portal (discussed in the following section), Fairtrade coffee has been offered alongside conventional coffee for catering to guests since May 2020.

Launched at the beginning of May 2020, the RWTH Purchasing Portal is the largest of several online portals at the University. In 2022, around 16,000 digital orders were placed via the RWTH portals. In addition, around 51,000 analog order forms are issued each year.

The gradual introduction of a digital end-to-end procurement solution is planned for 2024. This serves to replace the previous order forms in paper form. In addition to the option of procurement via catalogs (contractually secured), the university institutions are also supported digitally with price inquiries. As a result, there is no longer any media discontinuity, as all data is transported and processed digitally to SAP. Furthermore, orders will also only be placed digitally and will be integrated into the existing processes.

News from the RWTH Purchasing Portal – the Expendable Products

The category “Sale of expendable products” was newly introduced in 2022. Employees can use the intranet to report items of equipment that are no longer required for official use, i.e. that are no longer needed but are still in a usable condition. These items are then offered for sale via the RWTH Purchasing Portal. In this way, purchases such as scientific equipment and furniture can also be put to further use. In this way, the department store actively contributes to the more efficient use of resources.

Downward Trend in Paper Demand

Recycled paper has been tendered as the standard paper since 2012 and it is used in the Central University Administration (ZHV) in particular. Apart from special papers for certificates and picture printing, only recycled paper is offered in the RWTH Purchasing Portal. Paper consumption shows a continuous downward trend. From 2020 to 2022, the demand for paper fell by around 30% to 7.4 million sheets. It is reasonable to assume that this is also due to advancing digitalization and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the associated home office regulations.

Development of paper demand at the RWTH | Note: The values only take into account call-offs via the RWTH Purchasing Portal (DIN A4 and A3).

RWTH Is a Fairtrade University

RWTH Aachen University has been a Fairtrade University since June 2022. The University thus joins the list of public institutions that are actively committed to fair trade in Aachen. Universities are important players in the field of sustainable development. This is the case both in terms of their impact on society and with regard to their own operations and awareness of sustainability among students and employees. The certification 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.

Two students stand in front of Mensa Academica and smile into the camera. The person on the left is holding a flower and an A4-sized information sheet about the Flower Power campaign. The person on the right is holding a larger poster with two roses and the words Flower Power. In the foreground are two wooden holders with many colorful flowers in them. Among them are red, purple and pink-beige blossoms.
Fairtrade rose campaign for Valentine’s Day
Karl Hammer
Three people stand in front of a blue photo wall with RWTH illustrations. Two people are jointly holding a certificate recognizing the university as a Fairtrade University. A third person looks at the certificate while leaning on a high table.
RWTH is awarded Fairtrade University in 2022
Heike Lachmann

In a process lasting almost two years, awareness of the procurement of fair products at the University was reviewed on the basis of five criteria. As part of the specially established steering group, RWTH Aachen University is in active contact with other Fairtrade stakeholders such as the City of Aachen and StädteRegion Aachen, FH Aachen and the Catholic University as well as the university AStA Students’ Committees and the Aachen Student Union. The steering group meeting takes place every six months.

A large number of events and activities on the topic of fair trade have already taken place in 2021 and 2022. These include the “Say it with fair roses” flower campaign to raise awareness of the working conditions of small farmers, as well as the fair goal wall shooting to mark Fair Trade Day and a digital rally during Fair Trade Week 2021. In addition, fair trade at RWTH was and is actively communicated via social media channels. These include the Instagram series #fairfriday and entire theme weeks.

Fairtrade Budget of RWTH Aachen University

Since 2022, financial support from the Fairtrade budget can be applied for to support projects and measures that deal with the topic of “fair trade” and that strengthen RWTH’s commitment as a Fairtrade University. For example, the Fairtrade budget can be used to subsidize catering with fair trade products at public events or the organization of events on the topic with a maximum of 500 euros.

In 2022, a total of five measures were funded, including, for example, a new edition of the flower campaign organized by students for Valentine’s Day 2022. Fair trade roses were used to sensitize people to the issue of fair trade and inform them about women’s rights in particular. This was accompanied by communication via social media.

Further Information
“Procurement” in the first Sustainability Report
Fairtrade University RWTH Aachen
Fairtrade Universities Campaign