Huge jubilation at the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld - 3rd place in the global sustainability ranking
The Environmental Campus Birkenfeld achieved an outstanding third place in the global comparison of 1,183 participating universities from 85 countries that took part in the renowned UI GreenMetric Ranking 2023. Klaus Helling, Sustainability Officer at the Environmental Campus, sums up the top position succinctly: "The UI GreenMetric Ranking is comparable to the Olympic Games or a world championship in sport. The Umwelt-Campus comes third in the sustainability world championship for universities. We have worked hard for many years, are number 1 in Germany and have firmly established ourselves among the world leaders - now we have been rewarded with the bronze medal!"
Overall, the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld (UCB), a location of Trier University of Applied Sciences, was able to increase its overall result in the renowned UI GreenMetic Ranking 2023 by a further 325 points compared to the previous year to 9,450 points, putting the UCB in the TOP3. Wageningen University from the Netherlands secured first place worldwide with 9,500 points, just 50 points or 0.5% ahead of Nottingham Trent University with 9,475 points. However, the gaps have not only narrowed towards the top, the participating universities have also been able to improve further in the subsequent places: the top 20 universities each have more than 9,000 points. In Germany, the Environmental Campus has been in first place since 2017, this time followed by the second-best German university Bremen (10th place internationally) and the third-placed Leuphana University of Lüneburg (21st place internationally).
This year, for the first time, the UI Green Metric World University Rankings award ceremony did not take place in Indonesia at the University Indonesia, but at the COP28 World Climate Change Conference in Dubai. It was a good coincidence that Prof. Dr. Peter Heck, a scientist from the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld, was there. Heck is Managing Director of the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS). Together with the Energy Minister of Mauritania, Nany Chrougha, he presented the SAREP project at COP28 in Abu Dhabi. SAREP stands for the "Sahara Renaissance Project", in which a forest is to be planted in the desert sand in the West African country of Mauritania in order to protect the climate (www.sarep.de). Straight from the project presentation at COP28, Peter Heck rushed to the GreenMetric Award Ceremony and personally received the coveted award plaque for third place from Prof. Dr. Riri Fitri Sari, Chairperson of UI GreenMetric.
The UI GreenMetric World University Ranking is the leading international university ranking on the sustainability performance of universities and has been organized annually by University Indonesia since 2010. 1,183 universities took part in the GreenMetric Ranking this year - a further increase of around 12% compared to 2022. The ranking is based on a comprehensive survey, which is supplemented by more than 60 detailed verification documents. It evaluates the sustainability activities of universities in six weighted categories: Infrastructure (15%), energy and climate protection (21%), waste management (18%), water (10%), mobility (18%) and teaching and research (18%).
Compared to the previous year, the UCB achieved even better results, particularly in the areas of "Infrastructure" (+100 points) and "Waste Management" (+225 points). The UCB even achieved full points in the areas of "Waste management" and "Water". Since 2020, Umwelt-Campus has increased its score by 800 points and is currently only 550 points short of the maximum score of 10,000.
Prof. Dr. Dorit Schumann, President of Trier University of Applied Sciences, is proud of her environmental campus: "Sustainability is becoming a success factor for more and more universities, not only in Germany but also internationally. I am thrilled that our Environmental Campus has managed to make it onto the podium for the very first time with 3rd place. In view of the enormous competition, even maintaining the position achieved in the ranking requires constant improvement, so the increase achieved is all the more impressive. This top position not only opens up opportunities for the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld, but also for Trier University of Applied Sciences as a whole to cooperate with top universities worldwide in the field of sustainability."
Prof. Dr. Klaus Helling, the long-standing dean and sustainability officer at the campus, has been responsible for the GreenMetric application of the Environmental Campus since its first participation in 2016 and was recently commissioned by Science Minister Clemens Hoch to conduct a study on the implementation of sustainability at universities in Rhineland-Palatinate. He recently presented the results of this study at the "Transatlantic Symposium on Sustainable Development in Higher Education" at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in Boston. Helling is also Deputy Chairman of the Future Council for Sustainable Development in Rhineland-Palatinate and is therefore very familiar with the challenges involved in implementing sustainability strategies.
"The GreenMetric Ranking offers participating universities a framework for implementing their individual sustainability strategy. We have used the ranking as an indicator system for the continuous improvement of the implementation of sustainable solutions at our location. The fact that we have now achieved third place worldwide is the result of the great work of many colleagues who have systematically integrated sustainability into their courses and research projects. The commitment to the sustainable operation of the university ranges from innovative building and operating technology to services such as the computer center, library and administration to green space and biodiversity management. All the efforts of the staff would only be worth half as much without the broad student commitment to sustainability. Our students in the Green Office and other student committees are constantly providing a breath of fresh air with projects such as the "Sustainability Week" or the recent introduction of the Deutschlandticket. They challenge and support us," Helling continues, emphasizing: "We very much hope that the third place in the GreenMetric ranking will make the Environmental Campus even better known throughout Germany and internationally and that even more young people who want to make a difference will complete their studies at Germany's most sustainable university."
The Environmental Campus Birkenfeld of Trier University has been nominated for the German Sustainability Award, which is awarded this year together with the Federal Ministry for the Environment to particularly exemplary companies and institutions.
The German Sustainability Award is a prestigious award in Germany that recognizes companies, institutions and initiatives that have made outstanding achievements in the field of sustainability. The award is presented annually and covers various categories ranging from sustainable corporate management to social innovation and environmental protection. The sponsor of the award is the Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e.V. (German Sustainability Award Foundation).
For the first time, the prize will be awarded in 2023 to 100 pioneers of sustainability in 100 industries. Independent expert juries decide on the award winners on the basis of sustainability profiles created.
The Environmental Campus Birkenfeld was selected from 423 universities (Federal Statistical Office, winter semester 22/23) in Germany among the 10 pioneers of transformation in the category "Schools and Universities". Co-nominees from the category include renowned universities such as the Technical University of Munich, the University of Hamburg or the Free University of Berlin and only two other universities of applied sciences. The nomination of the Environmental Campus in this elite circle certainly does justice to its importance.
Students award top marks for studies at the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld - in Sustainable Business Administration and Law fifteen times in the top group of the CHE Ranking
The study programs of the Department of Environmental Economics/Environmental Law (UW/UR) have achieved impressive results in the current CHE ranking. Overall, the department's Environmental and Business Administration, Business and Environmental Law degree programs, as well as its international bachelor's degree program in Sustainable Business and Technology, achieved top rankings fifteen times.
Prof. Dr. Klaus Helling, the responsible dean, explains: "The result of the CHE ranking confirms the excellent work of our colleagues and is an incentive for us to continue to do everything possible to offer first-class study conditions at the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld. Studying at Birkenfeld opens up excellent career prospects, especially in the field of sustainability and climate protection, but also in all other areas of the economy. From 2025, 15,000 companies in Germany will have to publish a sustainability report instead of 500 now, and they are desperately seeking the skilled workers we are training for this."
More on the CHE ranking can be found here:
www.che.de/ranking-deutschland/
The Environmental Campus Birkenfeld - a role model for sustainability at universities!
For the sixth year in a row, the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld is "Germany's most sustainable university location" and occupies an excellent sixth place in the worldwide comparison of 1,050 universities from 85 countries participating in the renowned UI GreenMetric ranking.
Overall, the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld of Trier University of Applied Sciences (UCB) was able to increase its total score in the current UI GreenMetric ranking by 400 points compared to the previous year to 9,125 points, thus moving even closer to the top. As in previous years, first place worldwide was secured by Wageningen University from the Netherlands (unchanged with 9,300 points), followed by Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham with 9,175 points each. This year, UCB narrowed the gap to second and third place to just 50 points. In Germany, Birkenfeld is once again at the top, followed by the University of Bremen (9th place), Leuphana University of Lüneburg (18th place).
The UCB achieved increases above all in the areas of "teaching and research" (150 points), "infrastructure" (150 points) and "waste management" (75 points). The UCB is Germany's No. 1 in four of the six categories in the ranking; in addition to "Teaching and Research", which deserves special mention, these include "Water", "Energy and Climate Protection" and "Mobility". This is a great result in view of the continuing increase in the number of universities participating worldwide and their high quality. 1,050 universities participated in the GreenMetric Ranking 2022 - an increase of approximately 10 percent compared to 2021. The fact that 125 universities scored over 8,000 points in the ranking, more than twice as many as in 2021, underscores the growing importance of integrating sustainability at universities in a global context.
This is also emphasized by Prof. Dr. Dorit Schumann, President of Trier University of Applied Sciences: "An international study shows that more than 90 % of prospective students expect their future university to contribute to sustainable development. As Vice President of the German Rectors' Conference, I am responsible for sustainability and observe that more and more universities are dedicating themselves to this topic. The Environmental Campus Birkenfeld at Trier University of Applied Sciences is considered a model for sustainability throughout Germany and internationally and offers future-oriented study programs that integrate the topic in an interdisciplinary and innovative way."
The UI GreenMetric World University Ranking is the leading international university ranking on sustainability and has been organized annually by University Indonesia since 2010. It ensures a holistic assessment of universities' sustainability activities in line with the Whole-Institution Approach and is divided into six weighted categories: Infrastructure (15 percent), Energy and Climate Protection (21 percent), Waste Management (18 percent), Water (10 percent), Mobility (18 percent), and Teaching and Research (18 percent).
"With its holistic approach, the GreenMetric ranking promotes the implementation of sustainability strategies in an increasing number of universities worldwide. At the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld, the focus is on the lived implementation at the location itself and also beyond, in which regional and supraregional actors are actively involved in our activities. An important role is played by our students, who initiate many initiatives through the Green Office, among others. Young people who want to make a difference have come to the right place," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Klaus Helling, the Sustainability Officer of the Environmental Campus.
The Environmental Campus presents itself with a great ranking on its 25th anniversary.
Once again this year, the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld was able to distinguish itself as the greenest university in Germany. In this year's online GreenMetric Awards, the Umwelt-Campus once again defended its excellent 6th place in a global comparison and remains in 1st place nationally for the fifth year in a row. Overall, the UCB was able to increase its total score in the current ranking to 8725 points.
A great result in view of the increased number of participating universities and quality. 956 universities participated in the GreenMetric Ranking 2021 - an increase of circa 5%. The fact that 158 universities scored more than 7,500 points in the ranking underlines the growing importance of integrating sustainability at universities in a global context.
This year's ranking was themed "Higher Education Institutions, UI GreenMetric and SDGs in Times of Pandemic," and the focus was on higher education institutions' efforts to continue their sustainability programs and strategies based on UI GreenMetric and the SDGs, while coping with the Covid 19 pandemic. For example, universities were asked about their approaches to online teaching, hygiene concepts and other measures to deal with the pandemic in everyday university life.
The first place worldwide was again won by Wageningen University in the Netherlands, followed by the University of Nottingham and the University of Groningen. In the process, UCB narrowed the gap to the top 3 to just 75 points. In Germany, Birkenfeld is once again at the top, this time followed by the University of Bremen (16th place), Leuphana University of Lüneburg (19th place) and Freie Universität Berlin (25th place). UCB's performance in the energy and climate protection category is particularly noteworthy. There, it ranks first in a global comparison with 1950 points.
"The climate crisis is the global challenge and we are particularly pleased to be at the top of the GreenMetric ranking in this category with our zero-emissions concept. With its sustainability strategy, the environmental campus pursues a holistic approach that goes far beyond climate protection and includes all areas of the university: Teaching, research, operations and transfer activities are sustainable. A special role is played by our students, who inspire many initiatives through the Green Office. Young people who want to make a difference are at the right address here," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Klaus Helling, the sustainability officer of the Environmental Campus.
greenmetric.ui.ac.id
Fairtrade seal for the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld and the Campus Design Trier of Trier University of Applied Sciences.
The two campuses of Trier University were jointly awarded the "Fairtrade Universities" seal in June 2021. Currently, there are around 30 universities nationwide that have made it their mission to bring fair trade into everyday university life. It is a commitment to human rights and greater environmental protection in global trade, and thus also an important contribution to the implementation of university-internal sustainability strategies. Fairtrade universities are role models for social responsibility at universities. Bringing more fairness to campus - that is the goal of the Fairtrade Universities campaign. Whether it's coffee and sugar, a snack in the cafeteria or T-shirts for events - Fairtrade products can be used in many places. To earn the designation, universities must meet several criteria that show Fair Trade is being promoted on campus. A committee made up of members of the student body, the administration and the university's catering businesses meet regularly to promote Fair Trade.
www.fairtrade-universities.de
Environmental Campus Birkenfeld of Trier University continues to be a role model for sustainability
On December 7, 2020, the President of Trier University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Dorit Schumann and the Dean of the Department of Environmental Economics/Environmental Law at the university's Environmental Campus Birkenfeld were delighted with an excellent ranking at the GreenMetric Awards ceremony, which this time took place online. The "greenest university in Germany" is once again in Rhineland-Palatinate - the environmental campus occupies an excellent 6th place worldwide among 918 universities in the international GreenMetric Ranking 2020 and remains in first place nationally for the fourth year in a row.
President Schumann classifies the result: "In order to maintain the top position, we have to continuously improve. Sustainability is becoming a strategic issue for more and more universities worldwide. The number of participating universities increased by 18% compared to last year and so did the quality, as this time 102 unis scored more than 7,500 points in the GreenMetric ranking. We also improved this year and were able to achieve 8650 points - a great start to the anniversary year 2021, when the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld celebrates its 25th anniversary and Trier University turns 50."
The GreenMetric ranking ensures a holistic assessment of universities' sustainability activities and is divided into six weighted categories: Infrastructure (15 percent), Energy and Climate Protection (21 percent), Waste Management (18 percent), Water (ten percent), Mobility (18 percent), and Teaching and Research (18 percent).
The world's first place was once again won by Wageningen University in the Netherlands, followed by the University of Oxford and the University of Nottingham, both from the United Kingdom. The Sustainability Officer at the Environmental Campus, Prof. Dr. Klaus Helling sets the bar high: "This time we are only 125 points short of third place. The podium is within striking distance - maybe we'll make it to the podium in 2021." In Germany, Birkenfeld is at the top, followed this time by the University of Bremen (20th place), Leuphana University Lüneburg (21st) and Freie Universität Berlin (26th).
For 13 years now, B.A.U.M. has been awarding the "Office & Environment" competition to companies and institutions that have been able to integrate resource-saving behavior and sustainable procurement into their everyday office life. This year, the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld participated in the competition with the support of the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS) and was honored by the jury for its efforts to date to implement sustainable procurement at the site.
As a showcase location for "zero emission", sustainable development and "environment", the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld (UCB) pushes the implementation of sustainable procurement at the entire site. Through this, the UCB strengthens its unique position to advance sustainable development in all areas of action, including sustainable procurement, and to pass it on as a multiplier.
In principle, the multiple use or recycling of products and the principle of resource conservation already apply to all procurement processes when selecting products. Waste avoidance and proper separation must also be observed and, if necessary, take-back systems used.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
In the current ranking of the Center for Higher Education Development (CHE), the study programs of the Department of Environmental Economics/Environmental Law (UW/UR) that were up for evaluation this year achieved excellent results. A total of nine top rankings were achieved by the department's degree programs in environmental and business administration, business and environmental law, as well as its international and continuing education programs.
All of the department's degree programs were able to position themselves in the top group in terms of support for students in the initial study phase. Particularly pleasing is the certified close link with practice in the bachelor's and master's degree programs in environmental and business administration, as well as the excellent dovetailing with the training companies in the dual bachelor's degree program "Sustainable Resource Management", which combines a business degree with commercial training and in which many companies from the region are already partners.
In addition, the business administration courses at the environmental campus score points in terms of their international orientation. At the bachelor's and master's level, there are numerous opportunities to complete a semester of study or an internship abroad.
With its international orientation, the study program "Business and Environmental Law" is also in the top group, which is relevant for both business law and environmental law: economic activities and climate change do not "stop at borders". The program also scores high marks for the practical relevance of its education.
Top rankings were also achieved in the area of internationalization. The interdisciplinary bachelor's degree program "Sustainable Business and Technology" has been offered at Germany's "greenest campus" for three years. At the master's level, the advanced courses in "International Material Flow Management" organized by the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS) achieved top marks in the CHE ranking and are also expressly praised by the DAAD.
In addition to excellent teaching, research is also a particular strength of the environmental campus. In 2019, Trier University was able to set a new record for third-party funding. Of the university's total of 13 million euros in research funding, almost 10 million euros were acquired by researchers from Birkenfeld. In the Department of Environmental Economics/Environmental Law, above-average third-party funding income was achieved through the work of the IfaS and via other research projects. This makes the department by far the number one among business administration and law faculties at universities of applied sciences in Germany.
Press release CHE-Ranking in German
You can find out more about the CHE ranking here:
https://www.che.de/ranking-deutschland/
German sustainability champion once again - Environmental Campus Birkenfeld is 6th in the world rankings and also Germany's greenest campus
The "greenest university in Germany" is once again located in Rhineland-Palatinate - the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld of the Trier University of Applied Sciences achieved an excellent 6th place among 780 universities in the international GreenMetric ranking and remains in first place nationally for the third year.
The world's first place was again won by Wageningen University in the Netherlands, which has a strong agricultural focus, followed by the University of Oxford, England, the University of California, Davis, USA, and the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, both also in England. The Environmental Campus Birkenfeld follows in sixth place in this highly ranked field, improving by a further 275 points compared to the previous year and significantly reducing the points gap to the leader. In Germany, Birkenfeld is at the top, followed by Freie Universität Berlin, Bayreuth University and Leuphana University Lüneburg.
The President of Trier University, Prof. Dr. Dorit Schumann, is very pleased about the award: "At the Environmental Campus, we set an excellent example nationally and internationally of how climate-neutral action, research and teaching can be achieved. We are working on environmentally friendly solutions both in a science-oriented manner and in practical implementation. The time is ripe for a rethink - and we are creating sustainable solutions in Birkenfeld under the motto "Sustainable, Innovative, Digital.""
Renewed success in the current GreenMetric Ranking of Universitas Indonesia, which was published at the turn of the year 2018/2019: For the second time, the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld has made it into the world's ten "greenest" universities.
From 10th place in the previous year's global ranking of environmentally friendly university locations, it has now improved significantly to 6th place.
The location was able to leave all competitors in the German university landscape behind, including the University of Bayreuth as the second and third best in Germany, as well as the Free University of Berlin (28th and 29th place worldwide).
You can find out more about the ranking here:
http://greenmetric.ui.ac.id/overall-ranking-2018/
Environmental Campus Birkenfeld is a role model for sustainability
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Commission for UNESCO have honored the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld as an outstanding educational initiative for sustainable development.
The Environmental Campus Birkenfeld was recognized in the third round of awards as an ESD learning site with the award at level 3, the highest level to be achieved. The jury summarized its decision as follows: "The Environmental Campus Birkenfeld manages to implement ESD in its study programs with a focus on "Environment and Sustainability" in a structurally effective way. The more than 2,500 students benefit from a particularly meaningful range of opportunities for participation and design. They participate in the development of the university in many ways, are systematically integrated into decision-making processes and can thus exert a targeted influence."
The Environmental Campus Birkenfeld was the only campus in Germany to establish itself among the top ten in the current GreenMetric Ranking, taking an outstanding 10th place in the world rankings (2016: 21st place). The greenest campus worldwide is Wageningen University in the Netherlands, followed by the University of Nottingham in England and the University of California, Davis in the USA. Freie Universität Berlin came in 21st place.
In the "Energy and Climate" category, the Environmental Campus continues to lead the way in Germany and, as in 2016, is awarded a well-deserved 1st place. This category has the highest individual weight in the ranking and evaluates aspects such as energy efficiency, electricity consumption, energy standards of buildings, use of renewable energy and reduction of CO2 emissions.
More information on the GreenMetric ranking can be found at: http://greenmetric.ui.ac.id/overall-ranking-2017/
Award for sustainable campus design
The ISCN network, as the world's largest sustainability forum for colleges and universities, organizes an annual conference to further develop and promote university campuses towards greater sustainability. In addition to sharing 'best practice' through exemplary presentations and ideas from participating universities, a sustainability award is also presented annually. The award is given to universities that stand out for their outstanding planning, design or teaching projects in the field of sustainability.
In 2017, the conference was held at the University of British Columbia UBC in Vancouver, Canada. Participants from 78 universities from a total of 31 countries exchanged ideas.
The Environmental Campus Birkenfeld received the award for its zero-emissions concept in the "Campus Planning and Management Systems" category.
In the other categories "Building and Innovative Infrastructure", "Innovative Collaboration" and "Student Leadership", awards went to the University of Singapore, Swarthmore College in Philadelphia/USA and Chiba University in Japan.
For the seventh time, Universitas Indonesia has conducted a global sustainability ranking of universities. The results are based on an online questionnaire and assess the commitment of the to sustainability and environmental protection. The ranking is divided into six categories, which are weighted differently: Infrastructure (15%), Energy and Climate Protection (21%), Waste Management (18%), Water (10%), Mobility (18%) and Education (18%).
Results were released on Dec. 29, 2016 (http://greenmetric.ui.ac.id). 516 universities from 74 countries participated in the latest ranking, and the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld was able to establish itself as the second best German university in the overall evaluation, in an excellent 21st place among the greenest universities worldwide. From Germany, only the Freie Universität Berlin is one place ahead in 20th place.
Not only the overall result is excellent, because in the category "Energy and Climate Protection" the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld took first place! This category has the highest individual weight in the ranking and evaluates aspects such as energy efficiency, electricity consumption, energy standards of the buildings, use of renewable energy and reduction of CO2 emissions.
2014: 5th time "Distinguished Landmark in the Land of Ideas" (IfaS)
2014: 2nd award audit family-friendly university
2014: 3rd award for "Exemplary recognition" of foreign study achievements DAAD
2013: UNESCO "Education for Sustainable Development" for Study Semester
2011: "The green university ranking" by Utopia.de - 1st place
2011: Award Audit family-friendly university
2011: 2 UN Decade Awards "Silea - Laptops for Children" & "Principles of Sustainable Business
2010: IfaS Institute - Selected Landmark of the competition "365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas
2010: "The green university ranking" by Utopia.de - 2nd place with 28.2/32 points
2008: Selected site of the competition "365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas
2008: Award UN-Decade Youth Future Conference
2006: Award UN Decade IfaS
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