Foreword

Dear Readers,

I am pleased to present the third RWTH Sustainability Report. This publication reaffirms our ongoing commitment to advancing sustainable development across all areas of university life. For the first time, it also outlines our progress in implementing the RWTH Sustainability Strategy.

The RWTH Senate adopted the Sustainability Strategy at the end of 2023, and since then, countless members of our campus community have worked together to bring it to life. Our 55 ambitious, self-imposed sustainability objectives and the more than 160 associated measures are more than statements of intent, they represent the real challenges we are tackling together. These priorities include making our campus climate-friendly, integrating sustainability into our curriculum, and strengthening our research focus in this area, among others.

As one of Germany’s leading technical universities, we recognize our profound responsibility to society. Our educators and staff are committed to embedding sustainability competencies and knowledge into our degree programs, so that our graduates are equipped with these essential skills and specialized expertise to contribute to innovation and support a more sustainable future.

At RWTH, our sustainability efforts center on four core domains: governance, operations, teaching and learning, and research. This intentional focus allows us to drive measurable impact across the institution. Our Sustainability Strategy serves as the central framework guiding our transformation, ensuring that RWTH Aachen University can be part of the solution to today’s global challenges.

Where are we on this journey? What concrete steps are we taking, and which milestones can we celebrate today? This Sustainability Report provides an in-depth look at our progress.

I hope you find this report both engaging and informative.

Sincerely,

Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Dr. h. c. mult. Ulrich Rüdiger

Rector of RWTH Aachen University