Operations
The University of Vienna firmly embeds climate, environmental, and sustainability issues within its organisational structure. The Sustainability Office coordinates projects, the Steering Group provides strategic direction, and the Sustainability Advisory Board contributes expertise from research, administration, and the student body.
The Sustainability Office – making our University fit for the future
The Sustainability Office of the University of Vienna serves as a central point of contact and is the liaison office for all interest groups involved with sustainability at the University. It is part of the Facility and Resources Management service unit (RRM) and is closely and directly involved with the Vice-Rectorate for Infrastructure, whose area of responsibility involves sustainability matters.
Flora Rainalter
- Coordination of the Sustainability Advisory Board
- Greenhouse Gas Inventory Project
- Sustainable Mobility
Sustainability Steering Committee
The steering group oversees the strategic advancement of sustainable development at the University of Vienna. It provides impetus for the continuation of the sustainability strategy, works with the Vice-Rector to develop proposals, defines priorities in key areas of action, and supports monitoring. Topics range from mobility and greenhouse gas accounting to the roadmap for climate neutrality. The members contribute their professional perspectives, network relevant actors, and communicate key content within their areas of influence. Operational decisions are made by the responsible organizational units.
- Nikolaus Hautsch, Vice Rector for Infrastructure, Chair of the Steering Committee
- Ulf Busch, Head of IT Services
- Alexander Hammer, Head of Finance and Controlling (Treasury)
- Bernd Stampfl, Head of Facility and Resources Management
- Christina Winter, Head of Human Resources and Gender Equality
- Nikola Winter, Delegate from the Advisory Board, Max Perutz Labs
- Nils Carqueville, Delegate from the Advisory Board, Professor for Mathematical Physics
- Julia Gram, Sustainability Office
- Flora Rainalter, Sustainability Office
- Christine Ehrenhuber, Communication on Climate, Environment & Sustainability
Sustainability Advisory Board
The Sustainability Advisory Board of the University of Vienna advises the Rectorate on strategic questions regarding climate, environment and sustainability. Representatives from the areas of research and administration, as well as the student body, draw on their expertise in order to clearly define goals, contribute to measures and inspire innovations.
Gruppenbild Nachhaltigkeitsbeirat 2024
Working groups of the Sustainability Advisory Board
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Working Group on Mobility
This working group focuses on reducing mobility-related greenhouse gas emissions at the University of Vienna. A distinction is made between university travel and commuting. Proposed measures are being developed for both areas.
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Food and Beverages Working Group
This working group identifies topics relevant to the University of Vienna in the area of catering and develops proposals for measures to ensure a sustainable food offering. It also aims to promote communication about existing sustainable offerings.
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SAIL Working Group – Sustainable Action In Labs
This working group is dedicated to collecting laboratory-specific greenhouse gas data and developing corresponding strategies and measures to reduce these emissions. It also aims to promote networking between laboratory facilities within the university in order to achieve synergies (e.g., in procurement and/or recycling).
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Compensation Working Group
This working group developed a compensation strategy for the University of Vienna, taking into account the Roadmap 2030 and possible further developments. It laid the groundwork for the university's compensation projects, which will be managed by a permanent position in the Sustainability Office starting in 2026.
The advisory board consists of members of the University of Vienna and is broadly and diversely composed. Members include representatives of the faculties and centers, the senate, the scientific and general works council, and the ÖH (Austrian National Union of Students) at the University of Vienna. Representatives of DLEs and other students also participate. The members act as multipliers, bringing the concept of sustainability and information about related activities at the University of Vienna into their respective organizational units. Conversely, they bring good practices, ideas, and questions from their organizational units to the Advisory Board.
| Adrian Hiss | Fridays For Future, Alumnus Uni Wien | - |
| Alina Brad | Institute for Political Science | u:find |
| Andrea Möller | Platform for Science Education (AECCs) | u:find |
| Andrea Tramontano | Faculty of Life Sciences | u:find |
| Andreas Richter | Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science | u:find |
| Anna Krenn | University Library | u:find |
| Annemarie Steidl | Institute for Economic and Social History, 1st Deputy Chair of the Senate | u:find |
| Ariadne Neureiter | Institute for Journalism and Communication Studies | u:find |
| Barbara Good | International Relations | u:find |
| Barbara Wessner | Institute for Sports Science | u:find |
| Bernd Stampfl | Facility and Resources Management | u:find |
| Birgit Fink | Campus Information & Business Intelligence Services, Betriebsart für das allgemeine Universitätspersonal | u:find |
| Chiara Onorati | Institute for Physical Chemistry | u:find |
| Christa Schleper | Faculty of Life Sciences | u:find |
| Christian Moser | Financial Controlling | u:find |
| Christine Ehrenhuber | DLE Communication | u:find |
| Clara Kofler | Faculty of Physics | u:find |
| Claus Lamm | Institute for Psychology of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods | u:find |
| Cornelia Blum | DLE Communication | u:find |
| Daniel Schirmer | IT Services | u:find |
| Daniela Billing | Former ÖH Department for Sustainability and International Affairs | - |
| Daniela Große Kathöfer | Faculty of Geosciences, Geography, and Astronomy | u:find |
| Dennis Kurzbach | Institute of Biological Chemistry | u:find |
| Dennis Walden | IT Services | u:find |
| Elizabeta Jenko | Institute of Slavic Studies | u:find |
| Emmanuel Schertzer | Institute of Mathematics | u:find |
| Eva Horn | Institute of German Studies, Member of the Works Council for Academic Staff | u:find |
| Eva Millesi | Faculty of Life Sciences | u:find |
| Eva Spiegelhofer | Institute of German Studies | u:find |
| Eva Vetter | Institute of Teacher Education, Institute of Linguistics | u:find |
| Fabien Martins | Max Perutz Labs | u:find |
| Falk Christian Pastner | Event Management | u:find |
| Flora Rainalter | Sustainability Office | u:find |
| Florian Feldbauer | Office of the Rector | u:find |
| Florian Pichlmüller | Center for Microbiology and Environmental Sciences
| u:find |
| Gerhard Herndl | Faculty of Life Sciences | u:find |
| Günter Trettenhahn | Institute of Physical Chemistry | u:find |
| Hannah Lea Weingartner | ÖH University of Vienna, Senate | - |
| Hannes Schmidt | Center for Microbiology and Ecosystem Research | u:find |
| Harald Wilfing | Faculty of Life Sciences | u:find |
| Heidemarie Weinhäupl | Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography, and Astronomy | u:find |
| Henning Schluß | Institute of Education, Institute of Teacher Education | u:find |
| Herbert Kamleitner | Faculty of History and Cultural Studies | u:find |
| Ilse Reiter-Zatloukal | Institute for Legal and Constitutional History, Works Council for Academic University Staff | u:find |
| Immo Trinks | Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science | u:find |
| Jamil Sy | Public Relations, Student Communications | u:find |
| Jani Kotakoski | Faculty of Physics | u:find |
| Jacqueline Loos | Faculty of Life Sciences | |
| Jaro Trawniczek | ÖH University of Vienna | - |
| Johann Pock | Institute for Practical Theology | u:find |
| Johannes Gstach | Institute for Educational Science | u:find |
| Johannes Rath | Dean's Office for Life Sciences | u:find |
| Judith Rollinger | Faculty of Life Sciences | u:find |
| Judith Schoonenboom | Institute for Educational Science | u:find |
| Julia Gram | Sustainability Office | u:find |
| Julia Stanek | Public Relations | u:find |
| Katharina Pallitsch | Institute for Organic Chemistry | u:find |
| Kathrin Sartingen | SPL Doctoral Program in Philology and Cultural Studies, Member of the Senate | u:find |
| Leandra Kreisser | Psychology Student | - |
| Leopold Haimberger | Faculty of Geosciences, Geography, and Astronomy | u:find |
| Luise Scheiber | Research Service | u:find |
| Magdalena Reif | ÖH - Department for Sustainability and International Affairs | - |
| Manfred Ogris | Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences | u:find |
| Margarethe Jurenitsch | Event Management | u:find |
| Markus Arndt | Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics, and Quantum Information | u:find |
| Markus Öhler | Faculty of Protestant Theology | u:find |
| Maximilian Fuchslueger | Erde Brennt | - |
| Melina Kerou | Faculty of Life Sciences | u:find |
| Michael Doneus | Institute of Prehistory and Historical Archaeology | u:find |
| Michael Lysander Fremuth | Institute of Constitutional and Administrative Law | u:find |
| Michael Wagner | Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Member of the Senate | u:find |
| Michaela Pfadenhauer | Faculty of Social Sciences | u:find |
| Nikola Canigova | Sustainability Office | u:find |
| Nikola Winter | Center for Molecular Biology | u:find |
| Nikolaus Hautsch | Vice Rector - Infrastructure | u:find |
| Nils Carqueville | Faculty of Physics | u:find |
| Nuno Maulide | Institute of Organic Chemistry, Member of the Senate | u:find |
| Paul Pichler | Institute of Economics | u:find |
| Paulina Heine | Faculty of Economics | u:find |
| Peter Reichl | Cooperative Systems Research Group | u:find |
| Petra Rust | Department of Nutritional Sciences | u:find |
| Petra Schön | Faculty Manager Center for Translational Science | u:find |
| Sabine Pahl | Institute of Psychology of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods, Research Network Environment and Climate | u:find |
| Sabine Thater | Institute of Astrophysics | u:find |
| Sophie Wenzel | Psychology student | - |
| Stefan Meingast | Institute of Astrophysics | u:find |
| Stephan Glatzel | Institute of Geography and Regional Research | u:find |
| Stephanie Nitsch | Institute of European Law, International Law and Comparative Law | u:find |
| Tanja Fabian | University Library | u:find |
| Thilo Hofmann | Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Research Network Environment and Climate | u:find |
| Thomas Glade | Institute of Geography and Regional Research | u:find |
| Timo Bühler | Research Network Environment and Climate | u:find |
| Ulrich Brand | Institute of Political Science | u:find |
| Ulrich Kiermayr | Head of Communication Networks & Infrastructure, IT Services | u:find |
| Ulrich Technau | Dean's Office for Life Sciences | u:find |
| Veronika Schallhart | DLE Communication | u:find |
| Waltraud Kolb | Institute for Translation Studies | u:find |
| Werner Niedermaier | Works Council for General University Staff | u:find |
| Wolfgang Klas | Multimedia Information Systems Research Group | u:find |
| Yuri Albert Kyrill Kazepov | Institute for Sociology | u:find |
- Mobility Working Group
This working group focuses on reducing mobility-related greenhouse gas emissions at the University of Vienna. A distinction is made between university travel and commuting. Proposed measures are being developed for both areas.
- Food and Beverages Working Group
This working group identifies issues relevant to the University of Vienna in the area of catering and develops proposals for measures to ensure a sustainable food offering. It also aims to promote communication about existing sustainable offerings.
Learn more
- SAIL Working Group – Sustainable Action In Labs
This working group is dedicated to collecting laboratory-specific greenhouse gas data and developing corresponding strategies and measures to reduce these emissions. On the other hand, it aims to promote networking between laboratory facilities within the university in order to achieve synergies (e.g. in procurement and/or recycling).
- Compensation Working Group
This working group developed a compensation strategy for the University of Vienna, taking into account the Roadmap 2030 and possible further developments. It did the groundwork for the university's compensation projects, which will be managed by a permanent position in the Sustainability Office starting in 2026.
- Strategy Working Group (inactive)
This working group focused on the further development of the sustainability strategy and a participatory development process. In addition, ways to anchor sustainability in the organizational structures in the long term and a monitoring concept were developed.
- Teaching Working Group (Sustainability in Teaching)
This working group is dedicated to developing proposals for measures and concepts for embedding sustainability in studies and teaching, particularly in the area of teacher training. Offers for deepening the topic of sustainability among University of Vienna staff are also to be developed.
- Biodiversity Working Group (inactive)
This working group examined the importance of biodiversity in the context of the University of Vienna and identified best practice examples.
- Communication Working Group (inactive)
The aim of this working group was to promote internal and external networking and visibility on the topic of sustainability.