Networking, sharing experiences, learning from each other - the vice presidents and vice rectors for sustainability as well as sustainability managers from universities in North Rhine-Westphalia met at Fachhochschule Dortmund on Friday, September 27, 2024. The Faculty of Design's "Green Consulting" was presented as an example of best practice.
Prof. Dr. Franz Vogler, Vice-Rector for Sustainability and Digitalization at Fachhochschule Dortmund, had invited to this exchange of experiences. The results take place regularly. "We have all set out to act in a more resource-conserving and sustainable way," said Franz Vogler. This applies to the infrastructure at universities as well as in teaching and research. "It helps if we learn from each other, coordinate our strategies and promote cooperation in the academic field as well as in operational sustainability projects."
At the working meeting, which took place at the Max-Ophüls-Platz campus, participants reported from the Sustainability Alliance for Applied Sciences (NAW NRW) and the Sustainability Initiative of Universities in NRW (Humbolt^N), among others. Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences presented its sustainability management and Bochum University of Applied Sciences its sustainability report. There was applause for Fachhochschule Dortmund, which was selected for the pilot phase of the "Sustainability at Universities" audit by the German Rectors' Conference (HRK). Together with Sebastian Kreimer, Head of the CSR Office, Franz Vogler had already presented Fachhochschule Dortmund's public value accounting(Opens in a new tab) and the mobile sustainability office "Soffi"(Opens in a new tab) at the last meeting of the working group.
How can film projects become more sustainable?
This time, the focus was on "Green Consulting" at Fachhochschule Dortmund. Professor Sandra Hacker from the Faculty of Design and her research assistant Carina Witte are certified "Green Consultants Film & TV" and support students at the faculty with their film projects. "Around 80 to 90 student projects are realized every year," reports Carina Witte. The aim is to take as many sustainability aspects as possible into account - be it in terms of energy, transportation, use of materials or catering. "The film and media industry has a rather poor carbon footprint compared to other sectors," says Carina Witte. This is set to change in Germany. The major producers, from ARD to Netflix, have committed to complying with ecological standards. "We prepare our students for this," emphasizes Professor Hacker.
Thanks to the two Green Consultants, a lot has already been done at Fachhochschule Dortmund. For example, the Film & Sound production office(Opens in a new tab) lends out reusable crockery and provides a kitchen and cooking equipment for large groups. "This alone has already saved us 27,000 cardboard and plastic plates," reports Carina Witte. The use of reusable studio modules not only reduces the cost of set construction, but also saves resources. The spotlights are gradually being converted to LED technology, and mirrors focus sunlight on the film set. There will also be a "Green Filmmaking" seminar for the first time this semester.
The project met with great interest from the sustainability experts at the other universities. They were able to experience the new technology in action on a tour of the Faculty of Design at Max-Ophüls-Platz. The meeting concluded with a joint visit to the "Science Night" in and around Dortmund's U-Tower for all those interested.