Climate change mitigation concepts and measures at the Leibniz Universität Hannover

Today we are feeling the effects of climate change caused by the vast amount of greenhouse gas emissions over the past few decades. With the Paris Climate Treaty 2015, countries worldwide agreed to take measures to limit a rise in global temperature to below 2 degrees, or preferably 1.5 degrees. This means that we need to further intensify our global commitment to achieve climate neutrality and that we have to join forces and focus all our strength on tackling the climate crisis. The next decade will be decisive. It will determine whether we are able to achieve this goal. Leibniz Universität Hannover wants to set a good example and will therefore take on a role model function by, in addition to teaching and research, integrating active climate protection measures into everyday university life.

In March 2015, the Executive Board of Leibniz Universität Hannover decided to develop an Integrated Climate Protection Concept (ICPC) which is to serve as a basis for action. After an intensive one-year process, the ICPC was drawn up in 2016 by the Centre for Continuing Education as project sponsor under the direction of Dr Martin Beiersdorf in cooperation with the climate protection consultancy Target GmbH. The project comprised establishing an energy and CO2 balance, developing scenarios, designing strategies for the long-term viability of the project, effective communication and success monitoring and introducing a catalogue of measures.

The project was supported by members from all faculties, research fellows and the university's construction management. The development of the concept was financially supported by the National Climate Protection Initiative of the Federal Ministry for the Environment.  

Since the creation of the Integrated Climate Protection Concept in 2016, a large number of measures have been implemented and institutionalised. Within the context of the FridaysForFuture movement of students striking for climate, in July 2019 the Presidential Board of the Leibniz Universität was presented with a list of demands. In doing so, LUH students demanded that efforts to improve climate protection and sustainability on campus be intensified. At the end of 2019, the ICPC was updated and a working group (AG) for sustainability and climate protection was set up by the Senate. The aim of the working group is to recommend activities and measures to speed up the process of reaching climate neutrality on campus. Since the establishment of the Green Office in 2021, LUH has further intensified its activities.