The University Senate's decision sets the course for climate protection and achieving climate neutrality by 2040.
A fundamental social transformation is necessary for effective climate protection and to limit the climate crisis. With their core tasks in research, teaching and knowledge and technology transfer, universities play a key role. Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is committed to active and ambitious climate protection, which is firmly anchored in the university structures and processes and should be lived by the university members. Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences has already communicated this commitment together with the other universities in Saxony in the State Rectors' Conference with the position paper on climate protection and sustainability; it is committed to firmly integrating climate protection and sustainability into strategic university planning, university activities and university communication.
At its most recent meeting on April 17, 2023, the Senate of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences once again made this commitment very concrete and adopted the climate protection strategy and thus the implementation of the integrated climate protection concept.
The integrated climate protection concept and the climate strategy were developed by the climate protection management team under the direction of the Chancellor, Ms. Hollstein, and supported by the university's climate council. While the climate protection concept deals in detail with the inventory, the greenhouse gas balance, the development of measures and the analysis of potential, the strategy specifies the goals and necessary measures for the coming years based on the knowledge gained. Both documents are available to download from the Climate Protection Management website.
Click here for the complete integrated climate protection concept of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences!
The overarching goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2040. This is to be achieved by implementing various measures to avoid, reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions. The university's climate protection management team will continue to be responsible for implementation and basic support.
This is made possible by another aspect of the resolution: the decision to allocate a position for climate protection management from the job pool from the summer semester 2027 at the latest and to provide it with a corresponding budget to achieve the goals of the climate strategy. This decision by the Senate is of great importance, especially at a time when the number of tasks is increasing and budget funds are limited. The members of the Senate did not make it easy for themselves and held a controversial discussion for over an hour.
However, climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity and appropriate measures to protect the climate and limit the climate crisis are urgently and urgently required. We, the climate protection team, are therefore very grateful for the majority approval, which is a very important and correct basis for the further work of climate protection management and subsequent sustainability management at our university.
Thank you very much for your commitment and this far-sighted strategic orientation of our university for climate protection and sustainable development!
