Sustainability Strategy of the Frankfurt UAS

Sustainability is a visible, interdisciplinary aspect of all our degree programs. In addition to specialist knowledge and skills, we furnish all our students with a broad understanding of sustainability.
They are taught to consider all dimensions of sustainability – ecological, social, economic – equally and analyse and assess relevant questions accordingly.

We hone our conflict management skills and critical analysis to become good ambassadors of sustainability.

In our academic environment, the topic of sustainability is a consistent and high-profile consideration across all research projects. Using our research insights, we create solutions for the sustainable development of a world that is fit for the future.

By sharing our results with society, we seek to consolidate and further this knowledge and advance the sustainability transformation.

In particular, we transfer our expertise and technologies in the field of sustainability to municipalities, businesses and associations using suitable collaboration and communication formats.

On the one hand, we support them transition towards sustainability by developing technical, social and institutional innovations and overseeing their implementation.

On the other hand, sustainability aspects such as the personal development of employees, corporate resource management and digitalisation are integral parts of all our continuing-education programmes. They are consistently designed with their future viability in mind.

We, the Frankfurt UAS, see ourselves as a living laboratory and a model project for sustainable building, campus and green space planning and transportation. All our construction projects are planned, bid, and implemented with the goal of carbon neutrality in mind. We are mapping our resource and energy consumption to adapt our behavior and infrastructure as needed. This approach will enable us to make our university operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2030.

In this way, we authentically demonstrate our transformation process towards becoming a sustainable university, inviting the general public and the urban community to experience real-life sustainability on our campus.

However, sustainable university operations should entail more than simply achieving carbon neutrality. A holistic approach to harnessing all resources and processes, including the time invested and personal commitment of each and every individual, is of equal importance. In the spirit of sustainability, we use all available resources prudently and with appreciation. That is why we are undertaking a review of our administrative and operational procedures, making full use of the digital options at our disposal.

When it comes to procurement and commissioning, we make all decisions with a sustainablity perspective to ensure that no compromises are made for financial reasons. As a matter of principle, Frankfurt UAS only enters into cooperative arrangements with businesses and organizations that are already committed to sustainability – subject to verification wherever possible. Our endeavor to become certified as a Fairtrade University underscores the importance of fair trade practises and sustainable procurement and consumption at our institution. 

The well-being of everyone on campus is of utmost importance to us. We ensure healthy studying and working conditions. A good work-life balance, diversity and inclusion are crucial prerequisites for fair employment, teaching and learning, and a pleasant atmosphere among colleagues.

We are in the process of setting up a Sustainability Office at Frankfurt UAS. It is designed to ensure that all activities relating to studying, teaching, research, continuing education, knowledge transfer and overall university operations are aligned and coordinated from a sustainability perspective. Each faculty and department at Frankfurt UAS must delegate a representative to serve as member of the Sustainability Office. They will meet at least twice a semester for the joint development and implementation into measures of initiatives emerging from the entire university community.

To monitor and adjust our behaviour accordingly, the Sustainability Office will report on current projects, carbon footprint reduction, and resource and energy consumption on a relevant platform. It will regularly present a sustainability report outlining the university’s progress towards sustainability and the degree to which each measure has been implemented. Indicators and milestones will be defined during the planning process.

A Sustainability Council will meet at least once a year. Its purpose will be that of a committee overseeing, promoting, and supporting the development of Frankfurt UAS into a sustainable university.

The Sustainability Council consists of:

• the member of the presidential board responsible for sustainability (chair);
• three representatives of the university’s central administration;
• four faculty representatives;
• four students; and
• three external members.

The chair will be chosen from among these members.

In implementing and further developing our sustainability goals, we are wholly committed to fostering a participatory culture in which our professors, employees, and students have the opportunity to play a crucial role. To this end, the sustainability strategy is updated at appropriate intervals.