Climate Protection Manager Anna Krämer is committed to achieving climate neutrality at the University of Oldenburg. In this interview, she talks about her tasks and her vision for the university.
An outdoor interview: do you like going for walks?
Yes, I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like – but since the start of the pandemic I’ve been going for walks more frequently.
You’ve been working at the University of Oldenburg since 2021. What brought you here?
I did my Master's degree in Sustainability Economics and Management here. During my studies I was a student assistant in the Climate Neutral University project. While working on the application for the university’s integrated climate protection concept I developed increasingly specific ideas about what a climate protection manager could achieve at the university. Then I applied for the job, got it, and stayed here.
What are your tasks as Climate Protection Manager?
My main task is to draw up an integrated climate protection concept, and we’re in the home stretch on that project. I also deal with all issues related to sustainability and climate protection.
What do you find particularly challenging?
The time pressure and the investment bottleneck. In developing the concept, the main challenge has been to involve as many people and groups as possible in the project. We want to involve and hear from not only people who deal intensively with sustainability and climate protection, but also those who, for example, have concerns about it. Getting through to everyone at the university is of course not easy – especially during the pandemic.
What do you like most about your work?
The sense of purpose. Watching something good develop gives me a strong sense of doing something meaningful. I talk to people who want to advance climate protection and I examine solutions. That feels good. I also get to meet people from every nook and cranny of the university. I like the variety.
What is your vision for the university?
My vision is for the university to be climate-neutral by 2030. I want climate protection to be engraved in the university's self-image, so that sustainability is automatically factored into everyday life at the university. Many climate protection measures have an impact on the quality of life. I envision a green campus surrounded by a restricted-traffic zone. This would make the campus even more pleasant and create more space for people to come together. In general, we should see climate protection as not only being about technological advances and renovation, but as a long-term cultural transformation.
Interview: Lara Schäfer
