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Alliance of Sustainable Universities in Austria

The Alliance of Sustainable Universities in Austria was founded in 2012 as an informal network of universities that aims at promoting sustainability issues in Austrian universities and thus to contribute to a more sustainable society. Currently 21 Austrian Universities are members of the network (Feb 2026):

• BOKU University 
• Karl-Franzens-University of Graz
• Graz University of Technology
• Medical University of Graz
• University of Music and Performing Arts Graz
• Vienna University of Economics and Business
• Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt
• University of Salzburg
• University of Innsbruck
• University for Continuing Education Krems
• University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
• Johannes Kepler University Linz
• Mozarteum University Salzburg
• University of Veterinary Medicine
• University of Leoben (Montanuniversität)
• University of Applied Arts Vienna
• Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
• University of Art and Design Linz
• University of Vienna
• Medical University of Vienna
• Technical University of Vienna

Further information on the universities and contact information can be found here.

Through its common, the Alliance strengthens sustainability issues and provides added motivation to its members – particularly those who are/feel responsible appearance to promote issues of sustainability within their universities – to integrate sustainability at their institutions and adds support to their efforts.

The main objectives of the alliance are to exchange good and best practice experiences and to start joint activities in the fields of

• research,
• education
• operations
• society/knowledge transfer, as well as
• governance.

On a superordinate level, it aims more generally at anchoring sustainability issues at universities and thus to contribute to a sustainable society.

A main success of the Alliance was that each participating university committed itself to developing a sustainability strategy. This aim was defined in the performance agreements for 2013-2015 that each university negotiates with the Austrian ministry for science, research and economy. These strategies must include specific objectives and measures to promote sustainability within research, education and operations. A working group of the Alliance also elaborated a handbook for the development of sustainability concepts at universities (German only).

Working Groups

Specific sustainability topics are adressed by several working groups – 11 in total (examples):

• CO2 Neutral Universities: tackles the issue of carbon emissions of universities. Starting from a project dealing with “Climate Friendly Climate Research” the working group developed a standard for CO2 accounting of Universities.
• Sustainable Mobility: builds upon experiences at the Universities in Graz which are based upon a research driven concept including four phases to achieve sustainable mobility. The aim is to collect and spread good practice examples.
• Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): The ESD working group started in 2015 and deals with good practice exchange, competence development of HE-researchers, enhancing visibility of ESD at universities, but also internationalization. A main project is a ESD-certificate program for higher education teaching staff.
• Sustainable Procurement: guidelines and workshops for sustainable procurement
• Sustainability Strategy: development of strategies at each Alliance-university; Development of a handbook for the development of sustainability strategies at universities. Stretegic development of the Alliance itself.

Contact

Alliance of Sustainable Universities in Austria

Contact information for representatives of the member universities can be found here.

For general information please contact:
Elena Beringer c/o Center for Global Change and Sustainability University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences , Dänenstraße 4 1190 Vienna, Austria +43 (0)1/47654 99105 kontakt@nachhaltigeuniversitaeten.at