Professor Dr. Ulrich Müller-Steinfahrt has acted as Sustainability Officer of the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS) since July 2020. How did this come about? What are his responsibilities and what challenges is he facing?
Published on 13 May 2024
Professor Dr. Ulrich Müller-Steinfahrt could well be described as a someone acting out of commitment: "I have always cared about sustainability and environmental protection," the 60-year-old says. Since July 2020 he has been able to implement this topic close to his heart in a bigger context - as Sustainability Officer at THWS. How that came about? "The University realised that we as a public institution are also to become climate neutral by 2028," he remembers. In 2020, there was a concrete bill and an initial impulse of the Bavarian government towards higher education institutions to face this aspect and prepare themselves accordingly.
Long-standing THWS member
The university management was looking for a suitable candidate to take on this task. Professor Müller-Steinfahrt was the perfect fit: He had been with THWS for 18 years, for over 16 years he had been the head of IAL - the Institute of Applied Logistics Solutions. The IAL has had the specific focus area "sustainability" from the very beginning. "In my core area, Logistics, there have been lots of developments so that I have achieved a lot over the past few years with many companies and municipalities," Müller-Steinfahrt says. THWS has also realised this. "I asked myself why I should only support companies? Let us start by making progress in our own house." That is when he decided to take on this position.
No easy task. As the field of sustainability is complex. The key responsibility: Developing a sustainability strategy for THWS. In order to do so, he first had to assume his role and take initial steps. "It was about defining the topic of sustainability and establishing it at the University," Müller-Steinfahrt says. A major topic: "Sustainability is more than just zero carbon," he emphasises. As it was about causing a change in behaviour with all parties involved.
The decisive difference to companies
There was a big difference between implementing sustainability in a higher education institution as opposed to a company. "Both are complex but at an educational institution it would be even more complex," he stresses. "We have five core areas that companies lack. Simply put: Companies have their stakeholders, which are employees, customers, and suppliers. We, on the other hand, have various target groups and actors but also different fields of responsibilities," he explains.
At THWS, there was teaching, research, and the different ways research was conducted, and the general operations of the higher education institution, from procurement to equipment use, and heating. Another important field was governance that covered how to organise everything. The fifth area: Transfer. "Every higher education institution must educate students' sustainability competences and ensure that there is a transfer between the local economy and the students. This transfer must be guided accordingly," Müller-Steinfahrt says.
How extensive the topic of sustainability is at higher education institutions is also felt by Professor Martin Naumann, graduate engineer (Diplomingenieur) and Vice President at THWS. To him, the sustainability efforts of an educational institution differ from those of a company regarding one major aspect. "I am convinced that we as a higher education institution have a responsibility towards all of society which a company does not have to this extent," Naumann says. The importance of a sustainability officer was just as high. "We train junior academics. We conduct research. Today, the topics of sustainability are more important than ever." For him, THWS has chosen the right candidate to tackle this challenge. "Professor Müller-Steinfahrt is doing an excellent job. We exchange on a regular basis," Naumann says.
Another aspect was the establishment of student initiatives. "It is important that the intended target group at a higher education institution starts taking actions themselves and is supportive," he emphasises. The overall goal that everyone is working towards: becoming climate neutral by 2028. But how realistic is this? "At the moment, we do not yet have a finalised strategy as all ten faculties are to be involved. We are still in a change process," Müller-Steinfahrt clarifies. A catalogue of measures covering all areas and objectives was already available.
Awareness for sustainability among students
What does Müller-Steinfahrt care about personally? "Creating awareness among students. I ask myself: How can we fill students with enthusiasm for this topic to the extent that they start to change their behaviour?" With this, he referred to their behaviour inside THWS but also outside of the higher education institution. That this is not always easy is also clear to Müller-Steinfahrt. "It starts with small things. If you do not use the reusable Recup cup but keep using disposable plastic cups."
He did not intend to lecture students but wanted to encourage them to reflect upon their behaviour outside of the higher education institution. Many young people care about sustainability. However, this is not always reflected in their behaviour. This discrepancy existed throughout all age groups and social classes. But there was one important difference: "Compared to my generation, today's student generation is much better informed. They already know a lot about the climate," the Logistics Professor says. Not only were they interested but they also took the proactive approach. However, this frequently stopped due to budget reasons. "Many students have a limited budget and ask themselves: What can I afford and what do I want to afford?". It could often be seen that the focus on the CO2 footprint is being lost, at the latest, with groceries but also with mobility, especially regarding longer holiday trips.
Sustainability also in private life
Müller-Steinfahrt also acts sustainably in his private life. "The topic of environment has been me and my family's focus for a long time. My children, now 13 and 15 years old, have always valued sustainability – in particular when it comes to shopping, where they prioritise regional products, sometimes even more than me," he says with a laugh. Not only does he successfully establish and pass on sustainability to the next generation with his children but also at THWS. He managed to generate funds to finance the position of a Climate Protection Manager - so that sustainability and climate protection can continue to be put into practice at THWS.
