Sustainability in focus: Landshut University of Applied Sciences invites you to a guest lecture!

Sustainability in focus: Landshut University of Applied Sciences invites you to a guest lecture!

On July 10, 2025, an exciting guest lecture took place at Landshut University of Applied Sciences on the Dingolfing campus as part of the innovative “Sustainable Industrial Operations and Business” (SIOB) course. Under the title “Sustainability in Public Administration,” the students gained valuable insights into the city of Dingolfing’s current measures, presented by climate protection managers Stefan Salzinger and Katrin Riedmayr, both of whom enthusiastically focused on the topic of climate protection. It became clear that the municipality plays a key role in the implementation of climate protection measures, as Difu emphasizes.

As part of the lecture, Stefan Salzinger explained municipal heat planning and the collection of energy consumption data. These issues are crucial for the development of sustainable and climate-resilient cities. Katrin Riedmayr presented the structure of climate protection management at the district level since 2022. The two speakers also reported on the progressive goals of the city and district of Dingolfing to achieve CO2 neutrality and what specific measures have already been implemented in areas such as renewable energies, mobility and private households.

Insights into current projects

A highlight of the event was the excursion to the newly built LiWooD AG student dormitory, which opened in 2024. On this occasion, the students were able to experience the practical application of what they had learned. The building impresses with its modular wooden construction, which was built on parking areas, and an accessible roof terrace with a green flat roof and solar panels. This shows how sustainably designed architecture and innovative planning can go hand in hand.

Prof. Dr. Martin Prasch from Landshut University emphasized the importance of such practical insights. “The transfer of knowledge from theory to practice is essential for the training of our students,” says Prasch. This perspective is also reflected in the new Practical Guide to Climate Protection in Municipalities, which serves as support for municipalities that are faced with the challenge of achieving climate goals and driving forward measures.

The role of municipalities in climate protection

But how much can a municipality actually achieve? An analysis by the Umweltbundesamt shows that municipal measures have the potential to influence German greenhouse gas emissions by around 100 million tons annually. This corresponds to around a seventh of the emissions in Germany in 2020. However, there are often problems with implementation. A lack of human and financial resources as well as insufficient political will stand in the way of this - a challenge that many municipalities, including in Bavaria, have to overcome.

Today's event in Dingolfing showed that big steps can be taken towards effective climate protection through close cooperation between municipalities, universities and research institutions. The question remains: How can communities be further motivated to exploit opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?