Sustainability Hub

The Sustainability Hub is a concept of a place in Freiburg Germany where people can learn about sustainability.

Read our Strategy Report in PDF

Contributors

Anne Schultze, Belinda Berisha,
Nazar Sabri, Ilias Panagiotidis,
Magnus Landwehr

Place to work on sustainability

Great place to learn about sustainability.

Memories

While learning about sustainability you will also generate memories.

Executive Summary

The vision is a “Sustainability Hub” in Freiburg – a place full of knowledge, action and positivity. In times of climate crisis and many other challenges such as shortage and pollution of drinking water, poisoning of soil and air and the rapid loss of biodiversity that everybody is facing, the idea is essential to concentrate all forces and knowledge locally and cooperate globally. In consideration of the climate goals and reports of the IPCC there is no time to waste. Following UNESCO principles within Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) “the interconnected global challenges we are facing, including climate change, environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, poverty and inequality” are to be addressed. A "Sustainability Hub" - as the name already indicates - is a hub of several competencies, since sustainability exists in multiple domains like education, agriculture and food processing, renewable energies, or circular manufacturing. Market research has been conducted by the criteria of finding NGOs dealing with similar subjects in the area of Freiburg that are relevant to the "Sustainability Hub" and for possible collaborations. To make the idea of the Sustainability Hub a reality, a physical place where people can learn about the different dimensions of sustainability is necessary. The general aim is that the building should meet the given requirements to handle the large number of offered activities. The goal is to have a place with renewable energy systems where people can get advice for the installation of renewable energy facilities, as well as bake bread in an outdoor solar kitchen. Additionally, people can enjoy a solar art exhibition or watch a movie in a bike cinema where cycling produces the needed energy. A little garden and fair/organic café complement the place. Moreover, training offers for solar cooker construction and citizen participation workshops will be part of the concept. In order to finance the Sustainability hub, a mixture of donations, sponsorships and memberships is proposed as capital procurement methods. For the marketing strategy, social media platforms such as TikTok will be used in order to reach a young and wider audience. Freiburg is well-known as a “green city” – this is why the city needs such a place where all the energy of so many dedicated people would be concentrated and the network and forces for a sustainable future are strengthened.