In relation to the following areas, the higher education institution explains the extent to which natural resources are utilised for its operation and the mobility of its members. Furthermore, it describes reduction and efficiency targets relating to resource usage and explains how it intends to achieve these by means of current and future measures.
a) Life cycle of consumables, capital goods and services
b) Circular economy and disposal
c) Mobility
d) Nutrition
e) Energy
f) Water
The collection of data relating to the use of natural resources is an important task within the framework of the Zero Emission concept. All energy-relevant data is recorded and analyzed in the Building Management and Intelligent Energy Systems management unit. The results of the analysis are published on the bulleting board of the management unit and in the sustainability report. As part of the climate protection report for the environmental campus, the current energy and greenhouse gas balance for the areas of stationary energy consumption, mobility, waste, and wastewater. The EMAS core indicators and the GRI standards are also recorded and evaluated at regular intervals as part of sustainability reporting.
a) Life cycle of consumables, capital goods and services The topic of sustainable procurement is of great importance at the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld. This concerns office equipment as well as computers and laboratory supplies. In order to ensure ecological management in the future, a generally applicable procurement guideline is to be introduced that integrates sustainability-oriented aspects. Part of the procurement is currently handled via framework agreements with the Kaufhaus des Landes (KDL), which has already integrated some sustainability criteria in the selection of products. b) Circular economy and disposal
Waste prevention and separation is a component of the resource-saving operation of the environmental campus. Through a series of targeted measures, the volume of waste is reduced and waste is collected neatly separated. For example, various separate collection bins for paper, plastic and residual waste are available at many locations. Likewise, used batteries, fluorescent tubes, and emptied containers for ink and toner are collected and fed into a recycling loop as valuable materials. Clean Ups also took place again in 2019, with students getting involved in the campaigns organized by the AStA for a clean campus.
c) Mobility The aim is not only to reduce energy consumption in operations, but also to look at emissions from mobility services. In this respect, business trips or individual travel to and from the d
eparture routes of students and employees relevant. The environmental campus promotes the use of public transportation with the semester ticket for students or the job ticket for employees. Likewise, three video conference rooms are available on campus to simplify communication, also to international partners, and to reduce flight emissions. To make the necessary business trips more efficient, the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management provides several electric vehicles that are used for daily business trips. The institute is also initiating the mobility project NEMo together with the Birkenfeld municipality to establish a zero-emission mobility center at the environmental campus. As part of a carsharing field test, the construction of a solar carport was completed at the end of 2018. The zero-emissions mobility station consists of twelve parking spaces for carshare as well as private electric vehicles, including the necessary infrastructure consisting of several solar carport modules, fast charging columns and a stationary battery storage system.
d) Nutrition The sustainability office Green Office has established the vegan breakfast next to the vegetarian Friday in the canteen "Culinaria". Every two weeks, in return for a donation, people can expand their knowledge of vegan, organic and fair products in a cozy atmosphere and simply have a good breakfast. In addition, the Green Office has initiated a food sharing group that accepts and distributes leftover food from events on campus so that no food is wasted. e) Energy All technical installations and measures on the campus grounds and in the buildings are intended to demonstrate the Green Campus concept and the Zero Emission concept in a practical way and provide an insight into the practical implementation of modern and sustainable technologies in energy and building management. As the only Zero Emission University in Europe, the campus obtains electricity and heat from renewable resources and is CO2-neutral in this respect.
Detailed information on energy management can be found in the "Green Technologies"
brochure. f) Water The environmental campus also relies on modern technologies in the area of resource-conserving water use. The focus is on reducing the amount of drinking water and wastewater as well as on the increased use of rainwater. Rainwater is collected at the campus to relieve pressure on freshwater sources. The rain is channeled into two underground tanks that have a combined capacity of 40 m³. From there, the sanitary facilities are supplied with rainwater for the Toilet flushing supplied. Furthermore, the water circuit of the adsorption refrigeration is connected to the rainwater supply and covered by rainwater. This saves 800 - 1,000 m³ of freshwater per year. To further save water, all WCs are equipped with water-saving buttons and taps with self-closing valves and sensors. In addition, 60% of the urinals have been waterless to date, which means that no water flushes are used, thus saving freshwater.
Detailed information on the campus' resource management network can be found in the chapter "Sustainable resource management" in the current german sustainability report.