Unabhängiges Institut für Umweltfragen

The Unabhängiges Institut für Umweltfragen (UfU) is a scientific institution and a non-profit association based in Berlin and Halle. Founded in 1990 from the citizens' movement in the GDR, the UfU has since been committed to citizen participation, environmental rights, and education in the field of sustainable development.

• Education and Training: The UfU develops extensive teaching materials and conducts numerous training sessions for educational staff, particularly in the area of education for sustainable development (BNE). It has already worked with over 3000 schools and covered thematic focuses such as energy, climate, and sustainable consumption[4].
• Projects and Initiatives: The institute operates various projects, including the "KlimaVisionen" project, which guides schools towards climate neutrality, and "fifty/fifty," which motivates schools to save energy in everyday school life. Other projects include investigating environmental issues in agriculture and promoting early public participation[2][4].

The main mission of the UfU lies in promoting democracy and education in environmental and resource protection. The institute advocates for greater participation of civil society and works to strengthen environmental rights and sustainable development. The values of the UfU include promoting citizen participation, anchoring education for sustainable development, and supporting initiatives that contribute to a more sustainable future[2][4].

The UfU is strongly engaged in implementing the global sustainability goals (SDGs). It focuses on thematic priorities such as energy, climate, sustainable cities and communities, as well as reducing global inequalities. The institute develops and implements projects that promote a holistic transformation of learning and teaching environments, strengthen competence development among educators and multipliers, and mobilize youth for sustainable development[4].

The UfU recently received the 2nd place of the Roman-Herzog-Preis 2024 for the "KlimaVisionen" project. Additionally, the institute is working on anchoring BNE in German curricula and has created a Europe-wide digital learning platform for the integration of BNE in school education. In Kazakhstan, the UfU implements projects in the areas of water management, education, and agriculture[2][4].

The UfU remains an important player in promoting environmental education and sustainable development, both at the national and international levels.

• 1 - https://ufu-muenchen.de/program/betriebswirtschaftslehre/
• 2 - https://www.ufu.de
• 3 - https://www.wissenschafftzukuenfte.de/steckbrief-ufu/
• 4 - https://www.unesco.de/bildung/bne-akteure/unabhaengiges-institut-fuer-umweltfragen
• 5 - https://www.ufu.de/projekt/kooperationen/