Ms. Mendez Montilla, you have been the university’s Environmental and Climate Protection Manager for almost a year. When you look at the university, where do you see the biggest need for action?

All of our activities center around the primary goal of significantly reducing CO₂ emissions. This is not just the most urgent task for the university, but for society at large. To achieve this, we must first understand how much CO₂ we are emitting and where it is coming from. We are creating a greenhouse gas summary to evaluate our emissions and inform our climate protection efforts. As the university’s Environmental and Climate Protection Manager, my focus is on energy efficiency and comprehensive energy monitoring. This is the basis for environmental management.

Just knowing the numbers isn’t enough though.

No, of course not. This is just the beginning. However, these numbers are necessary to assess our progress. The University of Bremen has made significant strides in environmental and climate protection, and has received EMAS certification 22 times, most recently in early 2025. This shows that the university has a sophisticated environmental management system that is externally evaluated and transparently improves its environmental performance. Visibility is crucial in this process, as knowing numbers and data is essential for improvement.

Can you elaborate on what that means?

The university has had an environmental management system in place since 2004, which is certified annually according to the EMAS system. Each year, an external environmental evaluator visits the university and assesses various areas, such as waste disposal, laboratory areas, and the power supply center. Successful certification depends on all areas meeting the environmentally-relevant criteria. Waste must be disposed of properly and hazardous substances must be correctly labeled. EMAS stands for Eco-Management and Audit Scheme and is a voluntary instrument of the European Union for environmental management that covers all requirements made by DIN EN ISO 14001. Certification is only extended if all elements pass inspection. Should any element not meet the standards, the certificate is revoked.

Has that happened at the University of Bremen?

Fortunately, no. However, it has happened to other institutions, which is why retaining the EMAS certification is one of my top priorities. The certification process includes preparing transparent documentation. As part of the certification, the university regularly publishes an updated Environmental and Sustainability Declaration (in German only).

You mentioned earlier that the university is working on creating a climate action plan. Why is this necessary?

The Academic Senate incorporated sustainability into the university’s central mission statement in November 2023 and released a Sustainability Strategy in February 2025, highlighting their commitment to sustainable and climate-friendly action. In order to understand where we are making progress and where we need to improve, we need a climate action plan.

What does a climate action plan entail?

A climate action plan outlines a clear strategy for reducing the university’s greenhouse gas emissions and effectively implementing climate protection measures. This includes an assessment of the university’s current greenhouse gas emissions, specific goals, concrete actions, an implementation timeline, and a review process that regularly tracks our progress toward meeting targets. Not only the university’s CO₂ emissions, but also those of its suppliers are included for the products we purchase. We also consider the impact of students’ and employees’ commutes. Public relations work is also crucial for achieving broad support and acceptance.

How much CO₂ does the university emit?

The action plan is still being compiled, so I don’t yet have exact data. However, I can tell you that the university consumes 40 gigawatt hours of electricity each year. That is equivalent to the consumption of a small city.

That’s a lot.

Yes, and this high consumption highlights the importance of efficient energy management, since it also makes financial sense to reduce energy consumption. This is a win-win situation. When we identify opportunities to conserve energy, we can save money while reducing our CO₂ emissions.

You have been the Environmental and Climate Protection Manager for almost a year. What is your vision for the years to come?

Ultimately, reducing CO₂ emissions is the key to our success. We are witnessing the effects of climate change firsthand in Germany, which include melting glaciers, droughts, forest fires, and heavy rainfall. This is precisely why we need to reduce our CO₂ emissions and help Bremen to achieve its goal of becoming climate neutral by 2038. My focus is on energy consumption. I keep coming back to this point: We need to reduce our consumption. The University of Bremen has made significant progress, thanks largely to the efforts of my predecessor Doris Sövegjarto-Wigbers. We need to continue on this path and remain committed to our goals.

Further Information

More information about the EMAS certification and the environmental management award can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry for the Environmental (in German only).