Sustainability at RWTH

Where Do We Stand?

Dear readers
and everyone interested in and committed to sustainability,

Two years have passed since RWTH Aachen University published its first Sustainability Report. So, it is now time for us, as the Rector’s Delegates for Sustainability, to raise the question: Where do we currently stand on our journey toward becoming a sustainable university? Here is the short answer: The sails are set, and we are at full speed. We initiated a large number of measures and also worked on an integrated and participatory sustainability strategy. The governance structures have already progressed considerably.

University members from research and teaching, students, and administrative staff are actively engaged in the debate on sustainability at RWTH. Be it in the regular GreenTeam sessions or in the sustainability roadmap workshop, which took place in March 2023. We are actively discussing the topic of sustainability at the University and are creating new pathways to reach our goals. As with all large and diverse organizations, this is a major effort – but it is one that is worthwhile: All stakeholders and perspectives, professional aspects, and expertise should be considered, and everyone should have the opportunity to contribute to the University’s journey toward sustainability. The governance structures we now have in place will ensure the journey’s success.

The Rectorate Delegates for Sustainability: Professor Aaron Praktiknjo, Professor Niklas von der Aßen, Professor Kathrin Greiff in front of a glass wall. Professor Praktiknjo in a blue suit with white shirt and light blue tie, Professor von der Aßen in a blue suit with white shirt and light blue tie, Professor Greiff in a dark blue sheath dress and black blazer. They smile into the camera.
The Rector’s Delegates for Sustainability at RWTH Aachen University. From left: Prof. Aaron Praktiknjo, Prof. Niklas von der Aßen, Prof. Kathrin Greiff

Sustainability at RWTH is currently also reflected in a very practical way in the measures that have been initiated. One example from campus operations is the tender for renewable electricity for the University’s needs. RWTH has been using green electricity since January 1, 2023. This is one building block on our path to becoming a climate-neutral university by 2030 and, thus, to more sustainable operations.

Many of our professors and instructors are also active and involved already. The fact that one of them was recognized for their efforts with the 2022 Teaching Award in the Sustainability category certainly reflects this. We also need new approaches, of course, to help us better infuse teaching and learning with the topic. The SDG Campus is a great example.

Research, in particular, is a field where we can achieve much on our path toward a more sustainable university. Academic freedom, however, remains our top priority. Our aim is to further increase the social impact of our research and make it more visible – as was done, for example, in reworking the “UROP RWTH” program line to now focus on sustainability.

We want to continue building on our progress of the past two years: The goal is nothing less than the University’s transformation toward sustainable practices at every level. The road ahead will continue to be challenging, and not everything is going in the right direction yet. Nevertheless, as one of Germany’s leading universities of technology, we want to do our very best here. However, as we go forward, we still need everyone in our entire University community to do their part and keep up the excellent work. In our campus operations, in our research endeavors, and in our academic activities – we are united in our commitment to the same goals at RWTH. There is certainly plenty of reason to look to the future with optimism!

Sincerely,

Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat.
Kathrin Greiff
Chair of Anthropogenic Material Cycles

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing.
Aaron Praktiknjo
Chair of Energy Systems Economics

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing.
Niklas von der Aßen
Chair of Technical Thermodynamics