News from the Sustainability Office
Issue 01/2020
Climate Protection Strategy for the Technical University of Kaiserslautern
As part of a grant program funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) and the state government, a comprehensive climate protection strategy for the TechnicalUniversityof Kaiserslautern is being developed in collaboration with a service provider, the Bingen Transfer Office (TSB), and under the leadership of the Sustainability Office. The first step involves conducting an energy and greenhouse gas assessment for the campus; this will be followed by the identification of potential opportunities for emission reductions, the development of a climate protection goal for the university, and, finally, the derivation of corresponding measures. All university staff and students have the opportunity to participate in the process through a kick-off and a wrap-up event. You are welcome to submit suggestions to the Sustainability Office. The energy and greenhouse gas inventory is currently being prepared.
The university-wide kickoff event took place online on November 4, 2020. Initial results of the energy and greenhouse gas inventory were presented, and the next steps leading up to the completion of the plan were explained. Discussions on appropriate climate protection measures will take place in subsequent workshops. A recording of the kickoff event will be available online to all university members until December 16, 2020. To receive the link to the recording, please send us a brief message from your university email address to nachhaltigkeit@uni-kl.de.
Installation of New Bicycle Parking Facilities
In collaboration with the transportation manager at TU Kaiserslautern, Dr. Brunsing, and the HAZ, 204 additional bicycle parking spaces are currently being installed. These are being set up at particularly high-traffic locations on campus. The Federal Ministry for the Environment is supporting this climate-friendly project with funding.
Conversion to LED Lighting in Building 32
In collaboration with HA 5, the lighting in Building 32 is currently being converted to energy-efficient LED lighting. The project is also funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment’s National Climate Protection Initiative. Thanks to the new lighting system’s significantly lower electricity consumption, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by at least 50%.
Cell Phone and Eyeglass Collection Campaigns
As part of the 2020 German Sustainability Action Days, the Sustainability Office is organizing two collection campaigns on campus. These include the cell phone collection campaign “Cell Phones for Bumblebees, Bees & Co.” organized by the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) and the eyeglass collection campaign of the Saarland-based project “Eyeglasses Without Borders.” Smartphones in good condition are refurbished and sold within Europe. If this is not possible,the valuable raw materials—such as gold, copper, and nickel—will be returned to the production cycle.
Likewise, used eyeglasses can be dropped off at collection points. They are distributed to people in need around the world.
The donation boxes are located at the following sites:
·at the Studierendenwerk Info Point in the entrance to the cafeteria (Building 30)
·at the AStA office (Building 46)
·at the hazardous waste collection point (Building 59)
·at the Sustainability Office (Building 47, 7th floor, Room 704)
·in the UNIFIT lobby (Building 27) Only glasses here!
Through the TU Kaiserslautern Inventory Exchange, used office furniture can be listed to find new owners. So if you’re currently looking for something or have a piece of furniture to give away, you’ll find a link to the Inventory Exchange in the internal section of the university website under “My TUK” on the Department 2 page. The service is managed by Department 2.3, Contracting and Procurement.
You can find more current news at any time on our website: www.uni-kl.de/nachhaltigkeit