Sustainability is one of the key concepts of the 21st century. Preserving the earth as the basis of our existence in the long term is probably the most important goal and at the same time the greatest challenge of our time. As a publicly funded research institution, the DPZ also has a social responsibility for it. Resource-conserving and climate-neutral work is one of our guiding principles.
Through our daily activities in science, service and administration, we at the DPZ want to contribute to sustainable management. We strive to achieve this in a continuous, dialogical process with all employees, which includes all areas of work at the institute and in which concrete goals and measures are developed. On this page, we provide regular updates on our goals and the progress made in implementing them.
Sustainability management - anchoring the topic in the institute
Karin Tilch Communication
Through joint events, the DPZ has identified institute-wide areas of action, the implementation of which it continuously monitors in a decarbonization plan. These are communicated via the institute’s screens, the DPZ newsletter, and reports to the Supervisory Board.
Networking
Within the Leibniz Association, the DPZ is active in the Sustainability Working Group and collaborates with other institutes on climate-friendly research operations.
In addition, the DPZ is actively involved in the network of major German research organizations.
Through these diverse networks, the DPZ actively contributes to strengthening a sustainable research culture in Germany.
Strategies for decarbonisation
The sustainability strategy at DPZ focuses primarily on reducing CO2 emissions within our own operations. To this end, we analyze and optimize processes and improve operational efficiency with sustainability in mind. Since 2022, we have been regularly compiling a Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) for DPZ, which identifies the areas where we generate particularly high emissions.
Together with initiatives launched by employees and those stemming from energy management, these findings have resulted in a decarbonization roadmap developed in 2023, the implementation of which is being continuously monitored.
Carbon footprint of the DPZ
Since 2022, we have been regularly calculating our carbon footprint—a key component of our sustainability strategy. The calculations are based on a combination of consumption data and procurement costs.
With each cycle, we gain more experience, refine our methodology, and enhance the transparency of our sustainability reporting. The results help us to optimize our climate protection measures in a targeted manner.
Mobility
Commuter mobility
Commuting: Just under 25% of employees use public transportation to get to work, and a little over 11% ride a bicycle. About 66% of DPZ employees drive to work.
Since 2026, the DPZ has subsidized employees’ use of the “Deutschlandticket” as a job ticket and also offers bicycle leasing options
Business trips
For business trips, we ensure that rail travel is booked instead of flights wherever possible and sensible. Here, the Institute follows the guidelines drawn up by the Sustainability Commission of the University of Göttingen. All journeys of up to ten hours are made by train if the time saved by flying is less than six hours. Flights are only used for distances of 1,000 kilometers or more.
Buildings and energy
Infrastructural savings potential
The lighting in the entire institute has gradually been converted to LED lamps, reducing electricity costs by around two thirds of the current costs compared to the lamps used before.
Power-off switches have also been installed in the offices. The current energy audit shows: Where power-off switches are used, energy consumption drops significantly from the early evening hours.
During the winter months, all employees are asked (on a voluntary basis) to lower the heating temperature in offices and laboratories to 19 degrees. Office containers, hallways, and areas of the institute that are used only occasionally are not heated at all during the winter. Between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, we take a 10- to 14-day break from heating. Of course, this does not apply to the animal housing areas.
"Katharina Diederich " 
Karin Tilch EN: Installation of the solar power system on the DPZ roof in winter 2022/2023
Installation of photovoltaic systems
With a feasibility study in 2022, we laid the groundwork for expanding photovoltaic capacity at the DPZ. In the following years—from 2023 to 2025—solar panels were installed on suitable roofs, covering an area of approximately 3,200 square meters. Electricity generation. Today, the systems generate approximately 300,000 kWh of electricity annually—an important step toward a more sustainable energy supply at the DPZ.
Water and waste water
Thomas Steuer At the DPZ, we need a lot of water for laboratory work and sterilization. Animal husbandry also requires a lot of water to care for the animals, for regular cleaning of enclosures and work clothes and for showering before and after work in a variety of enclosures. In order to use this valuable resource more sustainably, a number of water-saving measures have been implemented in the animal housings.
Research-related projects
Sascha Bubner Energy-saving potential of biobanks
One process that accounts for high energy consumption at the DPZ is the cooling and freezing of sensitive biological samples. The institute’s more than 300 refrigerators and freezers and four deep-freeze rooms resulted in an annual electricity consumption of approximately 500,000 kilowatt-hours, accounting for about one-tenth of the annual electricity costs.
By reducing the number of units (-140°C/-80°C) and establishing a single cold storage room instead of 40 refrigeration units (-20°C), the DPZ saves up to 150,000 kilowatt-hours per year.
Consumables
Purchasing
Heike Hofmann-Winkler At the DPZ, we pay attention to sustainable management in all areas. This not only includes monitoring our energy consumption such as electricity, water and heating oil. We also focus on smaller processes such as the procurement of consumables or catering at events.
The purchase unit of the DPZ is the control center for all goods and consumables that are used at the DPZ on a daily basis. The unit's employees strive to use sustainable, regional products with short transportation routes wherever possible. Other laboratory consumables, such as pipette tips, gloves and petri dishes, are also produced in a climate-neutral way.
Catering
When organizing events, there are also many ways to cater for guests in a more sustainable and resource-conserving way. At the DPZ, we therefore mainly use regional and seasonal products from controlled organic and/or fair production and offer mainly vegetarian dishes.
General guidelines for the sustainable design of catering and hospitality at the DPZ have been drawn up. These guidelines should be observed and applied both when requesting quotations from external caterers and when organizing events yourself.
Biodiversity
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Karin Tilch 
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Karin Tilch 
Karin Tilch