Climate action at TUM
Helping to shape society as a university: Our climate action management develops comprehensive strategies for reducing the university's own greenhouse gases.
The effects of climate change become increasingly visible in Europe. The German federal and state governments have already defined ambitious climate protection targets. As innovation centers for future technologies, universities have a special social obligation: they are actively helping shape the transformation to a sustainable society. TUM is aware of its responsibility, and is therefore reviewing its own activities and infrastructure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
For this purpose and in line with its Sustainable Futures Strategy 2030 and supported by the National Climate Initiative, TUM established a climate action management system as one of the first Bavarian Universities in September 2022. Climate action management is part of the Sustainability Office and as such is anchored within the Presidential Board. It develops the climate action concept involving all stakeholders such as students, scientists and administrative staff in a participatory process.
Goals of the climate action management
By 2028, the university aims to be climate-neutral in terms of its energy consumption (net zero emissions). To this end, the team is developing an integrated climate action plan that covers all main sites (Munich, Garching, Weihenstephan and Straubing). Stakeholders and relevant actors as well as internal and external experts are involved and jointly develop suitable actions.
The integrated climate action plan
The plan includes the current state of climate action activities as well as TUM’s energy balance and carbon footprint. For this purpose, TUM applies the accounting standard developed by the Bavarian Network for Sustainability in Higher Education as a pilot university. Emissions from three categories are considered:
- All direct emissions (Scope 1 emissions).
- All indirect energy-related emissions (Scope 2 emissions).
- Purchased goods and services, purchased capital goods, upstream emissions (energy), waste, mobility (Scope 3 emissions).
Based on twelve fields of action, the team identifies short, medium, and long-term actions that are prioritized and implemented. The integrated climate action plan will ultimately serve as a strategic decision making framework for the university's future climate action activities.