Climate protection projects
The carbon offset and climate protection strategy of the University of Vienna
The University of Vienna aims to become climate-neutral by 2030. The frequently updated greenhouse gas balance and a roadmap specifying clear priorities with regard to reduction measures in university areas causing emissions serve as a basis for this endeavour. These measures aim to reduce the emissions caused by the University by around two thirds.
However, a residual footprint still inevitably remains, even when the University consistently implements all technically, organisationally and economically feasible reduction measures. At the University of Vienna, this residual footprint is around one third of the initial emissions. To achieve the goal of climate neutrality, it is crucial to assume responsibility for the remaining emissions by investing in high-quality carbon offset and climate protection projects, as according to the international standard.
Therefore, the University of Vienna does not consider carbon offsetting a substitute for reducing emissions, but a supplementary instrument that is only used once the University has exploited all potential for reduction.
The University of Vienna is developing its own strategy for this purpose with a focus on research-oriented university projects, which are closely connected to research and teaching. The University aims to understand carbon offsetting not as a purely financial process, but as part of the impact of the University and as the subject of academic research.
The rainforest of the University of Vienna
The ‘Rainforest of the University of Vienna’ is a unique project, which is possible only due to the long-time presence of the University of Vienna in the La Gamba tropical field station in Costa Rica, in which the University has played a leading role since 1993. La Gamba is an internationally recognised site for excellent research and teaching in the areas of tropical ecology, biodiversity, conservation biology and sustainable land use.
Aerial view of the La Gamba tropical station
The project aims to reforest formerly degraded land in the area around the field station, thereby creating a secure long-term research and teaching infrastructure and enabling research on ecosystem dynamics, carbon storage, biodiversity, climate impact and land restoration. Carbon sequestration is an important additional benefit – not in isolation, but rather in the context of a comprehensive research approach. An essential feature of the project is that the University of Vienna assumes academic responsibility for planning, implementation and monitoring. This means the University of Vienna can not only use the rainforest to compensate for its carbon footprint but also to research, evaluate and control compensation measures. Transparency, the avoidance of double counting, long-term effects and the integration into existing research concepts and protection schemes are central prerequisites for the project, which was meticulously prepared and underwent comprehensive reviews.
Entrance to La Gamba Tropical Station
FAQs about the project
The University of Vienna focuses on carbon offsetting because even when consistently implementing all technically, organisationally and economically feasible reduction measures, a residual footprint still inevitably remains. Based on its greenhouse gas balance and roadmap for climate neutrality, the University of Vienna can reduce its emissions by around two thirds. The remaining third of the initial greenhouse gas emissions are unavoidable and must be neutralised through appropriate compensation measures to achieve climate neutrality. Compensation measures are expressly secondary to avoiding emissions and an additional component in the University's climate protection strategy.
The project ‘Rainforest of the University of Vienna’ is closely connected to the La Gamba tropical field station, a facility of the Faculty of Life Sciences, where the University of Vienna has been conducting research and teaching for decades. The existing university research infrastructure will be developed further and a biological corridor will be created between the lowland rainforests on the Pacific and the montane rainforests inland by purchasing land and through reforestation.
The long-time presence of the University, existing collaborations, local expertise and infrastructure allow the implementation of this project under the academic supervision of the University of Vienna.
The project aims to identify suitable, formerly degraded areas of land in the area around the La Gamba tropical field station which will be acquired through the local operating company. As a next step, these areas will be reforested with autochthonous tree species. The expert selection of suitable areas, tree species and reforestation measures is based on preparatory academic research and is the responsibility of the La Gamba tropical field station, which has been coordinating successful reforestation projects for many years.
Reforestation efforts are carried out by local teams who plant highly diverse native tree species to promote biodiversity and resilience. The land will be available long-term for research and teaching. In the first years, tree mortality, population development and carbon storage will be monitored systematically. Further trees will be replanted, if necessary. The impact on the climate will be recorded according to international standards and the University also intends to implement frequent reviews by independent third parties.
The project is scheduled to run for several years and will be implemented gradually. After an evaluation of the first implementation phase, the University will decide on the further scaling of the project. If the project is stopped, any effects achieved to this point will be permanently preserved, for research as well as biodiversity and climate protection.
The project ‘Rainforest of the University of Vienna’ is implemented gradually and under continuous academic supervision. The project is first implemented in the context of a temporary scaling phase to gain experience, build appropriate structures on site and systematically evaluate its effect. Following a positive evaluation of this first phase, the project will be expanded, based on the insights gained. This way, the University of Vienna is able to ensure the quality, transparency and long-term effectiveness of the project.
Yes, the University provides targeted funding for explicit purposes within the framework of the climate protection project and the development of sustainable infrastructure.
Provided it reaches its intended scale, the project ‘Rainforest of the University of Vienna’ is aiming for a compensation of around 4,500 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per year in the long term. This aim is based on conservative assumptions regarding the area to be reforested, tree density and carbon storage performance. It corresponds to international standards for reforestation and compensation projects.
Other climate protection projects pending approval
Aside from the approved project in Costa Rica, the University of Vienna is reviewing other research-oriented approaches to carbon sequestration, including the project ‘Klimamoor’ (climate peat bog) aimed at the rewetting of wetlands in Austria. It is in its early pilot phase and closely integrated into university teaching. Preparations for this project are ongoing; it is currently subject to an internal review.