Sustainability

New trees on campus - focus on climate impact

Following necessary tree felling on the entire campus grounds of Bielefeld University, targeted replacement planting was started at the beginning of March. With climate-adapted and insect-promoting species, the university is creating sustainable added value for the campus and the city in cooperation with the Bau- und Liegenschaftsbetrieb NRW (BLB).

The most recent tree felling was carried out due to ongoing construction work and as a result of routine tree inspections, which revealed a lack of stability. The university and BLB then had a joint concept developed. The aim is not simply to replace trees, but to make the green structure fit for the future: The selection of species takes into account the climate forecasts for NRW (including an expected temperature rise of around 2-4 °C), longer dry periods and more frequent extreme weather events. At the same time, the focus is on promoting biodiversity and high nutritional values for pollinators.

Year-round food for insects: Species-rich replacement plantings

In an initial planting campaign, 30 new trees were planted, mainly on the meadow above the former Building Q. The replacement planting for the felled trees started a week ago and is proceeding according to plan. When selecting the species, particular attention was paid to heat and drought tolerance, urban resilience and high nectar and pollen value. The list includes field maple (Acer campestre), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and tree hazel (Corylus spp.). This mixture should provide food for insects all year round and at the same time be robust in the face of the predicted climate forecasts.

The university and BLB acted as strategic clients and planners, and the maintenance of the trees is the responsibility of the contractor for the first 2 years due to the necessary growth guarantee. After this period, responsibility is transferred to the gardeners from the Facility Management department (FM.4). Master gardener Sascha Gabbei: "We will notice in the short term: better air, more shade and a more beautiful campus image. The new trees provide a habitat for birds and insects, stabilise the soil and dampen the heat. With good care, this will be a lasting benefit for people and animals."

New bicycle parking spaces at the Faculty of Medicine

The buildings of the new Faculty of Medicine are being constructed to the south of the main university building. Sustainability plays a central role in all construction phases and in the subsequent operation of the South Campus. A particular focus is on the area of mobility. Bielefeld University is focussing on a significantly improved cycling infrastructure to motivate students and employees to switch to bicycles.

You can find more information here: New bicycle parking spaces at the Faculty of Medicine

 

Energizing Bielefeld: Historische Energiewenden vor der Haustür (PjS) (SoSe 2026)

With debates on climate justice, but at the latest since the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine in 2022, energy has (once again) become a key political and social issue. Questions about security of supply, economy and the future of our energy system, but also about energy justice, have characterised national and global politics ever since. However, these energy negotiation processes can be experienced in concrete terms above all in local contexts - at the level of everyday life, where people heat, cook, work, move around and consume.
This is precisely where the two-semester practical project "Energising Bielefeld" comes in. It centres on the local energy history of Bielefeld from the 19th to the 21st century. Together, the students are developing a digital energy trail that provides multimedia insights into key sites of local energy history. The thematic spectrum ranges from the electrification of everyday urban life to the social and ecological consequences of fossil fuel use to the nuclear power plant protests of the Bielefeld environmental movement and its early initiatives in favour of wind and solar energy. The project combines historical research with public knowledge transfer: students explore the region's energy history in a practical way and at the same time acquire career-orientated skills - from archive research and oral history methods to the conception of podcasts and video tutorials. To acquire the necessary skills, we work closely with the City Archive, the Historical Museum, the BITS Space and the Writing Centre at Bielefeld University; we also invite external experts such as Timo Fratz, the editor-in-chief of Radio Bielefeld and the author Berit Glanz (54books.de).

The seminar is funded by the Quality Fund for Teaching.

 

[Workshop] Being a teacher in times of existential crisis - education for sustainable development

Our current school system presents teachers with major challenges in times of multiple crises. Studies show that there is a connection between crises in the world and psychological stress in children and young people. Can education for sustainable development be the answer? Young people must be encouraged and empowered to become future-oriented co-creators of society - in a school that itself becomes a real-life laboratory for socio-ecological transformation. How can this be achieved? In our workshop, which will take place in person, we will show what education for sustainable development can achieve in terms of the whole school approach.

Mon, 23th March 2026, 15:00 - 17:30

Workshop leaders: Frieda Bayer, Jannik Heckmann, Jessica Freiensehner & Edmund Studinski (Teachers for Future Bielefeld)

Target group: Teachers of all school types and year groups, trainee teachers, students, OGS staff

Registration at: https://wwwhomes.uni-bielefeld.de/bised/cgi/anmeldung.php?kurs=26-krise&program=sommer2026

Sustainability newsletter

With the Sustainability Newsletter, the Sustainability Office informs you at irregular intervals about current developments in the field of sustainability at Bielefeld University. You will also receive information on internal and external events, funding (e.g. teaching and research funding) and exciting projects from the universities community relating to the topic of sustainability.

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Did you know ...

...that there are Ricoh toner collection boxes and non-Ricoh toner collection boxes in most of the university's copy rooms? In both cases, the collected cartridges are reconditioned and reused after an inspection and only disposed of if they cannot be reconditioned. The respective departments / secretary's offices are responsible for purchasing the Ricoh boxes themselves.

The collection box for the Collection Dragon campaign can be requested by sending an email to abfallwirtschaft@uni-bielefeld.de.