Leuphana Recertified with Environmental Seal

In recent months, several key targets have been met, further advancing the university’s sustainability agenda. Bookstores in Lüneburg and Bleckede now deliver books to the library without packaging and, in part, using electric cargo bikes. Furniture items such as tables, standing desks, chairs, sideboards, shelves, cupboards, and containers are all certified with the Blue Angel ecolabel. One hundred per cent of the recycled paper used is Blue Angel-certified, and 60 per cent of office supplies are sustainably sourced.

The university has also succeeded in reducing its energy and water consumption. The climate control system in the new server room (C41) is set for maximum efficiency and uses outside air for cooling at external temperatures of up to 16 degrees Celsius. Energy-saving settings are standard on all IT equipment upon delivery. The campus is powered entirely by green electricity and regenerative heating. Photovoltaic systems on campus have generated 512,143 kWh, and newly planted vegetation is irrigated exclusively with rainwater from three cisterns.

Mobility across the university has also improved. A total of 256 staff members make use of the discounted commuter ticket scheme, and the fleet of service vehicles has been further adapted: three electric cargo bikes, one electric car, and one electric bus are now in operation. The AVM service also offers an electric cargo bike for loan.

In the coming years, Leuphana plans to further improve its environmental performance. Renovation of the old windows is scheduled, public transport connections will continue to be expanded, and additional photovoltaic systems will be installed. Biodiversity on campus is to be enhanced, and the goal of a low-car campus remains a central aim. A student-run sustainability office is also being established.

Leuphana has been certified under the European “Eco Management and Audit Scheme” (EMAS) since the year 2000 – the very first university in Germany to achieve this distinction.