Green Office Uni Bonn

Source: https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/university/about-the-university/sustainable-university/green-office/green-office-uni-bonn Parent: https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/university/about-the-university/sustainable-university

Nice to meet you! We are the student-led sustainability office at the University of Bonn.

As the central point of contact for all things regarding sustainability, we are here to connect students with teaching and university staff. Our goal is to make sustainability a core part of how our university works and grows. To realize this vision, we support student engagement and run our own projects.

Formally affiliated with the University Sustainability Unit1 and Vice Rectorate for Sustainability1, we are also a member of an international movement, the Network of Green Offices2.

The second edition of the Sustainability Reader is out now!

Our university is evolving – becoming more sustainable, climate-friendly, and future-oriented. But what is already happening? Where is there still room for improvement? And most importantly: How can you get involved?

The second edition of our Sustainability Reader3 has the answers. It offers insights into what’s happening in Operations, Teaching, and Research, highlights initiatives at UKB and the Studierendenwerk that are taking sustainable steps, and shows where you can take action yourself.

This reader is an invitation to take a closer look, join the conversation, and help shape the future. Because a sustainable university doesn’t happen on its own – it grows through your ideas and your commitment.

Explore now and be part of the change!

The Green Office Team: Linus Laube, Jule Mertens and Josefine Stockhardt © Green Office/Uni Bonn

Are you interested in learning more about what the University is doing for the environment and sustainable development?

Do you have any suggestions or criticism?

Would you like to set up a sustainability working group or do you need support in realizing a sustainability project?

We are here for you!

We are part of the working groups teaching, operations and research. In case you have any questions concerning sustainability in teaching, operations or research of the Uni Bonn, reach out to us!

We are also happy to represent your interests in these areas!

Talk to us!

We have new office hours for you:

From now on, we´ll be available every Tuesday from 14:30 to 15:30 o´clock. Whether you have questions about sustainability at the Uni Bonn, our projects, or ideas for a greener campus life - we´re looking forward to chat with you :-)

It´s super easy via Zoom: you can join us spontaneously without registration.

Join the Zoom Meeting:

https://uni-bonn.zoom-x.de/j/61319652394?pwd=uvOVAi4rinMHE80UXDiyPNooR9cf5b.14

You can also reach us any time by phone, email or via DM on Instagram!

Travel sustainably with Erasmus+

Planning to study or do an internship abroad with Erasmus+? If you choose sustainable travel options, you can receive extra financial support and up to 6 additional funded travel days.

👉 Find all the details in our "Green Travel Info Sheet"5

Projects

Sustainability Funding Pot for Departmental Student Bodies

The sustainability funding pot for departmental student bodies is intended for sustainability projects initiated by student bodies or individual students at our University.

Why take part?

Financial support: every project that gets approved may be funded with up to €500.
Diverse projects: whether it’s a kitchen garden, climate-resilient plants or other sustainability-related ideas—we support your creativity.
Joint impact: your projects help make the University a more sustainable place and raise awareness of environmental issues.

Submission: share your ideas with us right now! Just send the completed application form and a table of costs for your project idea to greenoffice@uni-bonn.de, and we’ll review your proposal.

Application form6

Green Connect

There are already so many amazing people and groups working to make the University of Bonn more sustainable. However, these many opportunities and initiatives often mean that it is difficult to keep track of everything that is happening in this area. Sometimes, different groups are even working on similar projects at the same time and we often have a common objective in mind.

In order to better combine our resources and keep each other up to date, we initiated the monthly networking meeting Green Connect in February 2025. Organized by the Green Office team, anyone who is interested can meet at alternating times each month to discuss sustainability at our university and work together on projects.

The meetings and topics are announced in advance on our Instagram7. Feel free to stop by!

Green Connect Meeting © Green Office

Un(i)konferenz

The General Students’ Committee and the Green Office organized the Un(i)conference, held June 30, 2023 as a follow-up event to the World Café, which took place back in February, the aim of which is to work out specific approaches to be taken to ensure sustainable growth of the University as an institution. Attendees had group discussion on issues relating to teaching, participation, social responsibility at the University, colonial continuity, green finance and public-private research partnerships. A detailed report on the conference findings/results can be found here (upload report). Feel free to add notes and comments on the conference results on our Instagram. Contact us via Instagram or email for any questions you may have. We want the findings from the conference to flow productively into the process of our becoming a ‘sustainable university’.

1/5 Theme tables at the Un(i)conference © Caroline Jüngermann

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Sustainability at the University of Bonn in 2022 – a Green Office Reader

We are pleased to present the Sustainability Reader: a source that gives students and staff a compact overview of all information pertaining to sustainable development at the University of Bonn. The Reader serves to inform the university public on the status quo at the University of Bonn regarding sustainability issues, as a bundled source of relevant information—including what measures and projects are in planning or already underway. We also hope the Reader will motivate you to get active and involved in one of many initiatives in your own area, or create an initiative of your own, for:\ Only together can we transform the University to achieve sustainability!

>> Download Nachhaltigkeitsreader (available in German only)<<8

The ‘sustainable mensa’ process

A proposal was presented to the Studierendenwerk in July 2022, then workshops were held in October 2022 and January 2023 with the groups supporting the concept and representatives of the Studierendenwerk and of the NEiS sustainable student meals project. Funded by NEiS and conducted by the consulting firm a'verdis, the workshops yielded a sustainability action plan for the Studierendenwerk. \ In January the Studierendenwerk invited us to visit the CAMPO Mensa along with representatives of university groups, the General Students’ Committee and the Student Parliament. We learned more about the Mensa and its operational processes during this visit and heard about issues of concern to Mensa staff. \ May was vegan-vegetarian month in the Hofgarten Mensa, as originally called for in the concept proposal. Mensa demand stayed the same during this meatless month, which the supporting groups have declared a success. \ Meetings are also held with the Studierendenwerk and the supporting groups bi-monthly to discuss the latest developments.

Events

World Cafe

February 30, 2023

1/4 Students, staff and university leaders discuss ideas promoting sustainable development of the University. © Asta Uni Bonn

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The World Café event was organized jointly by University management, the General Students’ Committee and the Green Office. Themed tables at the Café were devoted to discussion topics around operations, teaching, transparency, participation, networking, sustainability culture and justice. University staff, students and governance board members attended the World Café, the results of which are to flow into the University's sustainability strategy after more in-depth discussion at a follow-up event.

Proposal for a more sustainable canteen

July 28, 2022

1/6 Students for Future Bonn outline the proposal’s key points. © Samuel Johanns

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At the end of July, various stakeholders presented a proposal for a more sustainable canteen to Studierendenwerk Bonn. A fruit of collaboration between Students for Future Bonn and other groups, it has the backing of the Student Parliament, the General Students' Committee, PAN Uni Group Bonn, the Fairtrade University Bonn student initiative, Foodsharing Bonn, Fridays for Future Bonn, Health for Future Bonn, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, University of Applied Sciences Green Office and us!

Go to proposal9

Sustainable Science Slam

April 22, 2022

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The evening’s spotlight was entirely on research projects and ideas for a sustainable future. Researchers passionate about sustainability, from the fields of biology, textile archaeology, forestry, agriculture, botany and behavioral economics explained what a more sustainable future could look like. Hosting the event was René Deutschmann, a known poetry slammer and host from Bonn.

The evening kicked off with a non-competitive performance and political message by Theresa Hartmann, winner of the 2020 Green Week’s Science Slam, who stated that while consumers were responsible for choices in their everyday shopping, they were not to blame for the climate crisis and unfair conditions around production processes. She called on policy makers and businesses to provide a framework for consumer behavior.

The event continued with six Sustainable Science Slam performances, presented in blocks of three. Two slammers participated online, with Philipp Swoboda dialing in live from Graz and Fatimal Ali from Omdurman, and it was up to the audience to nominate the winner for the best performance of the evening. Due to two equally popular performances, the audience in the end crowned two winners: Leandra Hamann for her presentation on sea quirts as a solution to the problem of microplastic marine pollution and Philipp Swoboda for showing how basalt can be used as fertilizer for a more sustainable use of land.

If you didn't make it to the event, you can still enjoy the performances on our YouTube channel10.

We would like to thank all slammers for their interesting acts and look forward to welcoming everyone at next year’s event.

Sustainability Day

May 12, 2022

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Sustainability Day on the Poppelsdorf Campus was of course an event the Green Office was bound to get involved in. At our stand we gave visitors information on sustainability projects in place at the University and provided a forum for ideas and exchange. We were delighted to be able to speak with so many people in person and would like to thank everyone for their numerous ideas for a more sustainable University.

Additionally, we had organized a little hands-on activity: Those who were not afraid to get their hands dirty were taught how to make seed balls to prepare their home garden or balcony for the summer and help the bees at the same time.

Those who were unable to join us can easily make their own seed balls at home using our recipe.

Go to recipe11

Join in!

We are a small young team with three employed students. We currently have no vacancies, but always welcome volunteers.

We can also put you in touch with a range of University groups active in this area. A list is available on the AStA web page12.

Opening hours

We currently do not have regular opening hours, but are planning to hold office hours as soon as the pandemic situation allows.

Contact

Green Office Uni Bonn

greenoffice@uni-bonn.de

+49 228 73 5975

Dechenstraße 3-11

53115 Bonn

Green Office Uni Bonn

The second edition of the Sustainability Reader is out now!

Talk to us!

Travel sustainably with Erasmus+

Projects

Sustainability Funding Pot for Departmental Student Bodies

Green Connect

Un(i)konferenz

Sustainability at the University of Bonn in 2022 – a Green Office Reader

The ‘sustainable mensa’ process

Events

World Cafe

Proposal for a more sustainable canteen

Sustainable Science Slam

Sustainability Day

Join in!

Opening hours

Contact

Links