Stuttgart Technical University of Applied Sciences has once again successfully passed EMAS certification, emphasising its ongoing commitment to sustainability. EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) has been firmly integrated into the university structure since 2014 and makes a
continuous contribution to conserving resources, reducing energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.
In order to continue the EMAS registration, the environmental management system is scrutinised annually by an external audit. The Institut für Umwelttechnik Dr. Kühnemann und Partner GmbH in Hanover audited the university as an environmental auditor on 24 June 2025. This year's regular monitoring was the second update audit within the three-year audit cycle.
The audit day was tightly scheduled: In numerous interviews and tours, the external auditor gained a comprehensive picture of the university's environmental management system. He held discussions with the university management, employees from administration, faculties and research. The focus was on specific projects and measures, the effectiveness of which the assessor examined on site - with very positive impressions across the board. The presentation of our greenhouse gas balance was a particular focus this year. This was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG) and also included the university's Scope 3 emissions to an extended extent.
Direct emissions (Scope 1) only occur to a very small extent and are caused by the university's own company cars and the operation of refrigeration machines such as air conditioning systems. Emissions from energy procurement (Scope 2) account for 15 per cent of total emissions. As the HFT is a state institution that uses green electricity, the only emissions here are from the district heating used to heat the buildings. Indirect emissions (Scope 3) therefore account for the majority of 85 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions. Around half of these Scope 3 emissions are made up of the commuting behaviour of employees and the other half from the goods and services purchased.
In addition to the greenhouse gas balance for the past year 2024, the years 2019 and 2023 were analysed retrospectively in the same emission categories to improve comparability. This shows that the GHG balance of HFT Stuttgart has been at approximately the same level over the past five years. For the year 2024, a CO₂eq share per person (students and employees) of ~ 1.13 tonnes/person was calculated.
Prof Dr Peter Baumann, Project Manager Energy and Climate Protection Concept at HFT Stuttgart
The university would like to thank those responsible, Ute Dettmann and Jonas Stave, for the extensive preparatory work for the successful audit, as well as the many committed employees of our laboratories, who presented their contributions to sustainable teaching and research at HFT Stuttgart with great motivation on the day of the audit.
EMAS requires every organisation to publish an annual environmental statement. The aim is to inform the public and interested stakeholders about the organisation's environmental impact and the continuous improvement of its environmental performance. The environmental statement therefore also demonstrates an organisation's commitment to sustainable development and transparency. The updated Environmental Statement 2025 of HFT Stuttgart can be viewed and downloaded here.