Sustainability University Members Work on the Development of a Sustainability Strategy
20 March 2025
Proposals for practical interventions to promote sustainability have been compiled into a comprehensive strategy paper
Over 80 members of Heidelberg University from different status groups took part in the Sustainability Think Tank (STT) to develop a holistic sustainability strategy for Heidelberg University. In this participatory process, which started in November 2023, the think tank – based in the Heidelberg Center for the Environment (HCE) – came up with proposals for practical interventions to promote sustainability. These have now been compiled into a comprehensive strategy paper, which has been forwarded to the Rectorate for scrutiny.
“With the work of the STT and the resultant recommendations we have taken an important step towards integrating sustainability into our culture of quality,” says Prof. Dr Karin Schumacher, who as Vice-Rector for Quality Development and Sustainability accompanied the development of the strategy paper. The think tank could serve as a blueprint for future participatory processes at the university, Prof. Schumacher adds, applauding the work of the past year. “My thanks go to the dedicated actors from all status groups, and I also hope that we can fall back on this valuable network when it comes to implementing the measures and continually developing the strategy.”
Besides academic staff, those involved in developing the sustainability strategy included representatives of the administration and students. In five working groups focusing on research, teaching, operations, research operations, and communication and transfer, they developed proposals for instruments enabling, for example, the identifying and promoting of sustainability-related research projects, or measures for resource-saving laboratory procedures. “Navigating this participatory bottom-up process was an exciting and highly motivating experiment,” say Prof. Dr Thomas Rausch and Dr Max Jungmann from the Heidelberg Center for the Environment. The intensive discussion in the STT showed, they add, that there is generally a widespread sense of responsibility for equipping the university to fulfill its commitment to the necessary transformation.
Irina Merz, Sustainability Manager at the HCE, coordinated the five working groups and the plenaries of the Sustainability Think Tank. “The abundance of creative ideas and enthusiasm for the topic on the part of the participants was overwhelming and laid the foundation for the success of the participatory process.” Pending the Rectorate’s decision on the recommendations, she now hopes that sustainability will be treated as a cross-cutting issue. “Only if all areas of action are given equal consideration can we guarantee that Heidelberg University has a holistic sustainability strategy and the STT members continue to feel listened to and appreciated.”
The sustainability strategy paper can be inspected on the website of the Sustainability Think Tank. More ideas for making the university more sustainable can also be submitted here:
Voices from the working groups participating in the STT
Petra Eggensperger, Head of Teaching & Learning in the heiSKILLS Competence and Language Centre| Teaching WG
“The process of developing the paper was very constructive and participatory, in my opinion. I particularly appreciated the fact that discussion was frank and on an equal footing across all status groups – from students to professors. As for the next steps, I hope the Rectorate will give a clear response on how the results of our work are handled. The paper we submitted must mark the beginning of a continuing process – and not the end.”
Marion Schmitt, Technical Assistant at the Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology | Research Operations WG
“Participating in the STT was extremely structured and effective because it was hands-on. I was surprised and pleased that problems and ideas from everyday practice could be named and that they were taken seriously and recorded. I hope that visible steps will now follow soon.”
Dr Nele Schneidereit, Scientific Managing Director of the Research Council of Field of Focus 3 | Research WG
“The process was participatory, in the best sense, and very well guided. It was wonderful to see how much personal commitment was shown by all those taking part. This is a good basis for developing a conscious, active culture of sustainability at the university, on all the levels considered in the strategy.”
Marius Baumann, Student Representative Body | Communication and Transfer WG
“We from the student representative body warmly welcome the fact that we were involved in developing a comprehensive sustainability strategy for the whole university – as one of the big groups of actors at the uni that has been pressing actively for a change of direction towards more sustainability for quite a while now. I found the process of developing the strategy very rewarding as it involved many actors from different status groups, so that the strategy will hopefully meet with great acceptance.”