Sustainability and Climate Protection

Human actions are damaging the ecosystem and climate of our planet: the Cluster of Excellence Quantum Universe at Universität Hamburg recognizes this as a scientific fact. We are aware of our responsibility to protect the unique, life-supporting conditions on Earth and endeavor to expand our efforts to promote sustainability and climate protection. The following measures are intended to achieve that goal:

• Decision-making within the Cluster of Excellence: The cluster will make all decisions with their potential impact on the ecosystem and climate in mind.
• Raising awareness among members and partners: We will continually implement measures and organize events to educate our team members and collaboration partners about climate protection and the sustainable use of our planet’s natural resources.
• Work-related travel and climate protection: Intellectual exchange with others is indispensable to scientific progress, which is the primary goal of our cluster. Work-related travel is often unavoidable. We will observe the following rules to promote the use of environmentally friendly means of transport and reduce the impact of our travel on the ecosystem and climate:
  
  • No short-haul flights*: When we need to travel to destinations in Germany, Denmark, or the Benelux states, we will use environmentally friendly means of transport, such as public railways.
  • Using trains for longer journeys: Within the cluster, we provide incentives for the use of environmentally friendly means of transport for longer journeys, i.e., to destinations outside of Germany, Denmark, and Benelux.
  • Duration of stay when traveling to other continents*: If you travel to a destination on another continent, you must stay for at least one week. Similarly, our guests and lecturers from non-European countries are required to stay in Hamburg for at least one week
  • Offsetting air travel: We are in favor of offsetting the CO₂ emissions of all flights we take in accordance with the Hamburg travel expenses act (Hamburgisches Reisekostengesetz, HmbRKG).
  • Streaming lectures: We continue to increase the use of video systems to stream lectures and presentations by lecturers who are based abroad.
• Sustainable catering: Sustainably produced, fair-trade products will be served at all catered events of the cluster.

 * Cluster spokespersons may approve requests for exceptions in especially justified cases.