As part of the strategy process finalized by the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society (HWG LU) in 2023, special attention was paid to sustainability and climate protection alongside other highly relevant social issues: Sustainability and climate protection play an essential role in education as a cross-cutting topic in many degree programs and are at the core of the two relatively new study programs "Business Administration with a focus on Sustainability Management" (B.Sc.) and "Sustainability Management" (M.Sc). In addition, however, the administration and the university as a whole also want to make their contribution to greater climate protection and sustainability in the future, and not least to the ambitious climate targets of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
A holistic sustainability program is therefore currently being developed at the newly created staff unit for university strategy and management under the leadership of Pascal Mayer. Climate protection manager Matthias Krambs started work in mid-May and will be supported by a sustainability officer as soon as possible. Both project positions are funded for an initial period of two years by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and the Ministry of Science and Health of Rhineland-Palatinate.
"I am currently working closely with the university management, teaching staff, the State Office for Real Estate and Construction Management (LBB), Facility Management and Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz to analyze the current state of the campus. This is of course also very valuable for the further expansion of our network, to which the Energy & Environment Regional Conference of the metropolitan area Rhine-Neckar has already contributed a great deal here at the university," says Krambs. Initial interim results: a lot has happened in recent years, particularly in terms of energy savings, and the new building (Building C) is also contributing to the overall improvement in the balance sheet.
Parallel to the analysis of the status quo, Krambs is implementing the first small optimization measures in waste separation and the purchase of materials such as toilet paper, copy paper and cleaning agents: "Many things were introduced a long time ago, but were not followed through to the last detail. That's where we're starting now."
The next step is to set up a Green Office. "We see this less as a physical office and more as a working community in which everyone can participate - students, staff and education. Participation is key for us, because we can only shape effective climate management at the university if students, staff and education work together on sustainable solutions," adds Pascal Mayer. In the long term, Mayer says, the university sees itself as having a responsibility to live up to its basic attitude towards sustainable action. It wants to align itself with the climate targets of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate - climate neutrality for the administration by 2030 and for the entire state by 2040 - and also resolutely implement these targets at university level.
Personal details: Matthias Krambs
Mathias Krambs (born in 1996) studied geography at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main and graduated in 2025 with a Master's degree in "Geographies of Globalization". Climate protection and sustainability were already key and cross-cutting topics during his studies. Krambs also deepened his knowledge in this area while working as a student trainee at a development aid organization, the German development bank KFW, and in the field of mobile sustainability at the Hessian Ministry of Transport. He has been working as a climate protection manager at HWG LU since mid-May 2025.
Specialist contact:
Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society
Office of University Strategy and Management
Matthias Krambs
Climate Protection Manager
Tel. 0621/5203-229
Mobile: 0152/08446362
Email: matthias.krambs@hwg-lu.de
