Sustainability

In the course of preparing Bielefeld University's Sustainability Report 2023, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to the activities of the university and its members were analysed for the first time. Comparable to the results of other universities, it was found that GHG emissions caused by commuting by students and employees account for the majority of Bielefeld University's GHG balance (> 50 %: 11,532 of 21,801 tonnes of CO2 equivalents).

A key factor that determines the amount of commuting-related GHG emissions is the means of transport chosen by university members to commute from home to campus (and back). The mobility survey was used to determine the means of transport chosen by university members in 2023 (see figure). The response rate among students was around 12 per cent and among employees around 46 per cent.

In the "Campus life & operations" section of the sustainability mission statement, Bielefeld University has set itself the following goal, in line with the city of Bielefeld (see the city of Bielefeld's mobility strategy): "Through infrastructure and behaviour-changing measures, we are helping to increase the share of environmentally friendly modes of transport, i.e. walking, cycling and public transport, in the commuting behaviour of university members to ideally at least 75 % by 2030." The figure clearly shows that an eco-mobility share totalling 75 % could already be achieved by 2023. At 67 %, the share of eco-mobility in the modal split for employees is below that of students at 76 %. However, eco-mobility among employees has risen sharply in the last four years (56 % to 67 %), while eco-mobility among students has fallen slightly (78 % to 76 %). In addition, a shift from public transport to the car can be seen among students. Accordingly, despite the high share of eco-mobility in the modal split to date, it is important to keep an eye on current trends, evaluate them and introduce measures to promote eco-mobility among students and employees. Reducing commuting-related GHG emissions requires active interaction between the university's own projects and cooperation with relevant players in the field of mobility.

The topic of electromobility will also gain momentum in the coming years. While one in four employees in the group of car users can imagine switching to an electric car in the next few years, one in eight students in the group of car users can imagine doing so. In order to meet this demand, Bielefeld University is planning to provide charging facilities in the new multi-storey car park on Wertherstraße.