The Sustainability Office sees this area developing as follows: “The University of Hamburg possesses comprehensive knowledge about its footprint, handprint, and brainprint. Data collection is largely automated and based on a standardized system of indicators. Collected data are presented in legible dashboards that provide transparency and serve as a management tool. As far as possible, data are publicly available, to encourage information exchange and further development of sustainable practices.“

Various impact measurement and reporting processes are being implemented to measure and document the University’s negative and positive effects on people and the environment.

In this context, conducting a comprehensive double materiality analysis was especially significant. This is a vital tool for systematically recording and evaluating relevant sustainability aspects at the University of Hamburg and incorporating findings into strategic decisions. It assessed sustainability-related risks and opportunities in addition to the effects of University activities on people and the environment.

A further major initiative is the annual accounting of greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to the standards set forth in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The accounting includes direct emissions from the University’s own operations (Scope 1), indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2), and all other indirect emissions from up- and downstream activities (Scope 3).

Furthermore, we use selected key indicators and the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) to evaluate our university-specific sustainability achievements, and present the University of Hamburg’s contributions to sustainable development with documented analysis and links to SDGs in research, teaching, and knowledge exchange.

These measures constitute an important basis for internal and external sustainability reporting at the University of Hamburg. They also support our participation in sustainability rankings such as the QS Sustainability Ranking.