Climate friendly all round: Outstanding placings for the University of Bayreuth in the global sustainability ranking
The University of Bayreuth is one of the world's leading universities when it comes to sustainability. In the "UI GreenMetric World University Ranking 2019" it came 26th in the global comparison, and third in Germany. A total of 780 universities from 85 countries took part in this ranking. It is the first and so far only university ranking worldwide based exclusively on sustainability criteria. It has been published annually by Universitas Indonesia in Jakarta since 2010.
Each university taking part in the "UI GreenMetric World University Ranking" this year received a rating in a total of six sustainability categories: In the area of "Surroundings and Infrastructure", the University of Bayreuth was number 1 nationwide. This is due, for example, to the high proportion of open-air areas spread over the Campus grounds, and the number and size of its green spaces. It also takes first place in Germany in the “Waste” section. This reflects the success of numerous initiatives on campus that are committed to significantly reducing paper and plastic waste, and further expanding the reprocessing of recyclables. An outstanding example of this is the reusable system for coffee and beverage cups, which was launched in October 2019 and is unique in Germany.
The University of Bayreuth also scored very well in the categories of "Water", "Transport", and "Education". In the nationwide comparison, it achieved third place in each area. The decisive factors here were, for example, the efficient and economical use of water, the promotion of cycling and pedestrian traffic, for example with a newly established bicycle self-help workshop, and the expansion of electric mobility with EV charging stations. Besides that, our campus is well serviced by public transport. And last but not least, the issue of "sustainability" is very well represented in teaching and research, in publications, and in student activities. Meanwhile, in the "Energy and Climate Change” category, the Bayreuth campus scored highly for its low greenhouse gas emissions, and a low per capita carbon footprint.
More than three years ago, University of Bayreuth management launched the initiative "GreenCampus” to bundle all sustainability activities on campus, and support potential new players in the field in implementing these. The team currently comprises six student assistants and two research associates, and is headed by Prof. Britta Planer-Friedrich (Environmental Geochemistry) and Prof. Dr. Maximilian Röglinger (Value-Based Business Process Management). In close cooperation with University management and all interest groups of the University, GreenCampus is currently developing an integrated, socially balanced, and ecologically ambitious sustainability strategy for the University of Bayreuth.
In October 2019, the sustainability prize sponsored by Universitätsverein (Partners & Friends of the University) was awarded for the first time. It is aimed at Bayreuth students who have oriented themselves towards achieving the sustainability goals of the United Nations, and whose research focuses on securing sustainable ecological development. Starting in 2021, the University of Bayreuth will offer an interdisciplinary supplementary course on the subject of "Sustainability".
Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Leon Haupt
Research Associate
Information Systems & Sustainable IT Management / GreenCampus
University of Bayreuth
Phone: +49 (0)921 55-4718
E-Mail: leon.haupt@uni-bayreuth.de