Sustainability Report 2025

Campus der Universität Bielefeld — © Universität Bielefeld

Sustainability report of Bielefeld University

Foreword

Dear Readers,

We are pleased to present Bielefeld University's 2025 Sustainability Report, which documents our responsibility and our commitment to implementing the sustainability goals of Agenda 2030. At the same time, the report serves as a central repository for the continuous evaluation of our sustainability strategy, highlighting achievements and planning the next steps.

In 2023, Bielefeld University adopted an ambitious sustainability mission statement. It lays out specific goals, such as aiming to achieve net greenhouse gas neutrality by 2035. In the current global political landscape marked by war and trade conflict, climate change has somewhat receded into the background in public debate. Nevertheless, the task remains: humanity must confront the social, ecological, and economic consequences of climate change more urgently than ever. 2024 was the warmest year on record in Germany (+3.1°C warmer than the pre-industrial era) and saw the steepest measured rise in CO₂ concentration, as well as the highest methane concentration in the atmosphere since record-keeping began.

As an initial milestone, Bielefeld University set a target for 2025 to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% compared to 2019. As reported here, by 2023, we achieved a reduction of 21.7% in emissions. A refrigerant leak following an environmental incident at the central cooling plant in 2023 significantly worsened these results. To achieve further reductions, Bielefeld University will intensify its energy-saving measures over the next two years, among other efforts.

Sustainability goes beyond merely reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For Bielefeld University, sustainability also includes the mandate to educate and conduct research. This cannot be captured by a single number. The report therefore also highlights qualitative aspects, such as new programmes of study like Sustainable Chemistry, the Smart Water Futures research project, or the Leihothek [lending library] from AStA [Student Union].

The goals of the sustainability mission statement are ambitious, and the success of their implementation requires the commitment of all members of the university community. These efforts can often be simple things, such as raising the topic of sustainability in courses or closing windows when leaving a room. Other efforts include institutional measures, for which we at the Sustainability Office welcome suggestions and report on here.

Stephan Becker, Elisabeth Strietzel and Dominik Schwarz © Bielefeld University

With respect to the myriad dimensions of sustainability, we must set priorities for achieving our goals. How we go about managing this is described in the section on governance. This is then followed by reports from research, education and teaching, as well as university operations and campus life.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the preparation of this Sustainability Report. We would particularly like to thank Elisabeth Strietzel, Bielefeld University's Sustainability Manager, and Roman Immoor, the university's Climate Protection Manager. We also thank colleagues hailing from nearly all departments and faculties for their contributions, and you, dear readers, for your interest.

Achieving our ambitious sustainability goals is a real-world experiment: Bielefeld University is operating here as a living laboratory for society at large. The question is whether reaching our goals for a community of around 24,000 students and 3,400 staff will remain a utopian dream – or can become a reality. We invite you to support us on this path and join us on our journey towards a more sustainable university.

We hope you enjoy reading this report.

Stephan Becker (Chancellor) and Dominik Schwarz (Rectorate Commissioner for Sustainability)

The Sustainability Report: development, objectives, data selection: © Bielefeld University

Bielefeld University's 2025 Sustainability Report was commissioned by the university leadership and was coordinated and prepared by the Sustainability Office. It builds on the first report from 2023 and outlines the university's progress and the current state of affairs with respect to sustainability. The report provides information on Bielefeld University's sustainability activities in the areas of education and teaching, research, and operations and campus life. The Sustainability Report is guided by the goals formulated in Bielefeld University's sustainability mission statement. This is grounded in a comprehensive understanding of sustainability that encompasses ecological, economic, and social perspectives. The report describes the structures and strategies for addressing sustainability at Bielefeld University (see the Governance section). Broadly speaking, it follows the Hochschulspezifischer Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitskodex (HS-DNK) [German Higher Education Sustainability Code]. Bielefeld University's Sustainability Report is published every two years and is intended to document both progress and setbacks in the area of sustainability with openness and transparency.

Data selection

The choice of indicators and data is based on the HS-DNK and Bielefeld University's sustainability mission statement. Both quantitative and qualitative data are presented. The quantitative data cover the period up to and including 2024. Exceptions to this are the greenhouse gas inventory, energy data, and mobility data, which for technical reasons only extend to 2023. Where possible, this report details not only the status quo but also developments and trends in order to present an evidence-based foundation for decision-making. Qualitative reports from the various areas of Bielefeld University were included up through the first half of 2025.

At present, not all data are available in the same degree or quality. In future reports, we expect the data to become increasingly comprehensive and of higher quality, which will allow us to more reliably capture and present developments and trends. The projects presented here reflect a selection from the myriad sustainability activities. These are intended to provide an overview of the various initiatives through which Bielefeld University is advancing the cause of sustainability. This selection is therefore by no means exhaustive.

OWL University Medical Center

The OWL University Medical Center consists of the Protestant Hospital Bethel, the Mara Hospital, Bielefeld Hospital, and Lippe Hospital. The hospital management groups address sustainability independently within their own respective organisations.
Sustainability mission statement: Sustainability mission statement of Bielefeld University

The sustainability mission statement is a central element of Bielefeld University's sustainability strategy. It reflects the university's fundamental understanding of sustainability and sets out its long-term sustainability goals in the areas of research, academic programmes and teaching, as well as campus life and university operations. As such, the mission statement serves as a guide for decision-making at Bielefeld University.

At the same time, the sustainability mission statement comprises Bielefeld University's external commitment to sustainability and signals the willingness of members of the university community to continue contributing to Bielefeld University's sustainable development. It is formulated in the first-person plural ("we") and addresses all members of the university community equally.

Sustainability mission statement download (141,2K)

Understanding of sustainability

For Bielefeld University, sustainability is both a key component of its self-conception and a shared responsibility of all members of the university. Guided by the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, it is committed to helping achieve the 1.5°C reduction in emissions target and to respecting planetary limits. Sustainability is embedded as a cross-sectional task in research, study, teaching, campus life, and operations, linking ecological, social, and economic dimensions in close coordination with other topics such as diversity, inclusion, equal opportunities, and health. The university sees itself as an educational organisation that actively supports the societal transformation processes, takes responsibility for future generations, and acts as a role model for sustainable development.

Creation of the sustainability mission statement

In late 2022, a participatory process was held that gave all members of the university the opportunity to contribute to the sustainability mission statement and to bring forward their own ideas for a university oriented around sustainability.

These ideas were further elaborated in the three working groups: education and teaching, research, and operations. In "students only" working meetings, students were able to contribute their perspectives on the subject area in question, along with sharing their specific wishes and goals.

Following further revisions on the draft by the Rectorate commissioners and university committees, and after intensive discussion within the Rectorate, the first version of the sustainability mission statement was adopted by the Senate and the Rectorate in July 2023. At the same time, the Senate commissioned an editorial revision of the mission statement, coordinated by the then vice-rector, with the aim of sharpening unclear formulations and enhancing readability. The final version of the sustainability mission statement was again discussed in the Senate on 15 May 2024 and finally adopted by the Rectorate on 28 May 2024.

Participation in strategy development

A defining feature in the development of Bielefeld University's sustainability strategy is facilitating the participation of members of the university community. University-wide participation opportunities were thus not limited only to devising the sustainability mission statement. Following the conclusion of this participatory process for developing the sustainability mission statement, the Sustainability Office and the Rectorate Commissioner for Sustainability continue to serve as the primary contacts for sustainability at the university. In addition, various participatory and informational formats are being developed in order to pursue transparent and open communication about sustainability initiatives and projects (for example, with the Sustainability Portal and the Sustainability Newsletter). These efforts are designed to encourage all members of the university to actively participate in sustainability efforts.