Project

Sustainable Working Environment

Lead Institute MA Institute of Market Analysis

Involved Institutes BD Institute of Biodiversity AK Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture FG Institute of Forest Genetics KB Coordination Unit Climate and Soil ZA Administration

Sustainable Thünen Working Environment The path to greater sustainability in everyday working life

Project

Sustainable Working Environment

Lead Institute MA Institute of Market Analysis

Involved Institutes BD Institute of Biodiversity AK Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture FG Institute of Forest Genetics KB Institute of Coordination Unit Climate, Soil, Biodiversity VW Institute of Administration

Sustainable Thünen Working Environment - The path to greater sustainability in everyday working life

Around 1,200 people work at the Thünen Institute, mostly on a wide variety of sustainability issues. It is therefore in our own best interests to operate sustainably in our day-to-day work.
This project aims to identify and describe opportunities and limitations for more sustainable business practices at the Thünen Institute (as well as on business trips and in consortiums) and to implement them in collaboration with the various institutes.
Ecology and economics, social issues and health, as well as animal welfare (e.g. canteen, catering) and other dimensions to be discussed, such as cultural and ethical issues, will be analysed.

Background and Objective

The German government's sustainability action programme shows that this issue is already being implemented on a mandatory basis in federal institutions. However, consistent implementation requires not only a legal framework but also expertise, time resources and self-motivation on the part of employees. In addition, there are many areas in departmental research (and in the public sector as a whole) that cannot be covered by this programme. Therefore, an initiative from within departmental research is needed to close this gap and move forward in a sustainable manner.

Target Group

(1) All Thünen employees as well as BIMA, canteens and suppliers, possibly research partners.

(2) In future, other departmental research institutions, ministries, all public sector institutions.

Approach

Intrinsically motivated Thünen employees work on various topics related to sustainable working environments and coordinate their efforts with the Team Working Environment´ (Sustainability Division, as part of the Thünen strategy process).

i. Collect topics
ii. Find mentors
iii. Implement measures
iv. Develop a medium-term strategy, then discuss internally and externally
v. Promote exchange
vi. ..

Data and Methods

Data:
- Business trips
- Energy and water consumption
- ...

Methods:
- Establish monitoring
- Strengthen cooperation
- ...

Our Research Questions

How sustainable can a departmental research institution be?

Which indicators are meaningful?

Are these measures transferable to other public institutions?

Are there conflicting goals on the path to climate neutrality?

Preliminary Results

Previous results:
- Business trips examined
- Plant exchange established
- Newsletter published
- Ideas contributed to the Working Environment team (Strategy Process 2025)..

Expected results:
- Increase resource efficiency
- Realise savings
- ..