A shared path forward: universities and the sustainability imperative
31 March 2026
Peter Riedler, Rector, University of Graz
Universities have always been places where society reflects on its future. Today, that responsibility is more urgent than ever. Climate change and sustainability are no longer topics at the margins of academic life; they are central to how we teach, how we conduct research, how we shape our campuses, and how we engage with society.
For the University of Graz, sustainability is therefore not an isolated field of activity, but a guiding principle that informs our institutional development. It connects ecological responsibility with social justice, scientific excellence with practical action, and long-term thinking with the decisions we make every day. In this sense, our commitment to sustainability reaches across research, teaching, operations, and governance.
Last year, the University of Graz signed the Durham Declaration on Climate Change and Sustainability. This was an important step for us. The Declaration expresses a shared conviction among Coimbra Group universities: that higher education institutions must not only analyse the climate crisis, but also help lead the transformation toward a more sustainable future. It reminds us that collaboration is essential — across disciplines, across institutions, and across national borders.
At the University of Graz, this commitment is embedded in a comprehensive sustainability strategy. We have been working systematically for many years to reduce our environmental footprint, strengthen sustainability in teaching and research, and anchor sustainable practices in university life. Our environmental management structures, our long-standing engagement with sustainable campus development, and our climate roadmap all reflect this ambition. We have set ourselves the goal of drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieving true climate neutrality by 2040. These are demanding goals, but they are necessary ones.
At the same time, sustainability for us means more than climate protection alone. It also means creating the conditions for responsible knowledge production, fostering critical thinking, encouraging participation, and enabling our students and researchers to contribute to solutions for regional and global challenges. Universities must be living laboratories for change — places where innovation is tested, responsibility is practiced, and future-oriented perspectives are developed together.
The Durham Declaration gives this work an important European dimension. It highlights that no university can address these challenges in isolation. The Coimbra Group offers a strong framework for mutual learning, exchange of experience, and shared visibility. By working together, we can increase our impact — not only within our own institutions, but also in the broader public and political discourse on sustainability.
I am convinced that universities have a particular role to play in this historic moment. We educate future decision-makers, generate knowledge, and help societies navigate complexity. This gives us both an opportunity and an obligation: to act credibly, ambitiously, and in partnership with others.
The University of Graz is proud to contribute to this common effort. By aligning our own sustainability strategy with the principles of the Durham Declaration, we reaffirm our belief that universities can and must be drivers of transformation. The path ahead will require persistence, cooperation, and courage — but it is a path we must take together.