The IFHV has developed this sustainability strategy in recognition of its ecological responsibility.

The following principles have been developed by members of the IFHV over the course of several meetings. The drafting group was gender balanced and consisted of representatives of the Institute’s professors, postdocs, PhD students, and student assistants. It was chaired by the Institute’s Executive Director. All elements of the development and subsequent revision of this strategy should be communicated transparently at all times. The rules contained in this strategy should not be understood as rigid rules but as guiding principles. In individual cases, exceptions should be available in an uncomplicated manner. Exceptions must always be justified. This strategy does not apply to the private or semi-private sphere (such as travel to and from work).

(1) Mobility comes at a price and is therefore not a goal in itself. Accordingly, the necessity of each travel by IFHV members must be reviewed.

(2) Domestic business trips or international business trips with a travel distance of up to 500 km are to be made by train or other environmentally friendly alternatives (long-distance bus, carpooling). Air travel for these distances will only exceptionally be approved in justified cases.

(3) For international business trips, air travel will be approved only if the applicant demonstrates that

1. the business trip itself is necessary and cannot be replaced by a video conference call;
2. air travel is necessary because a reasonable and more environmentally friendly travel alternative is unavailable.

(4) A calculation of the expected emissions must be attached to an application.

(1) To remain a place of encounter and discourse, the IFHV aims to continue to receive international and national guests. Nonetheless, travel to the IFHV should be reduced.

(2) Where IFHV assumes the costs of travel, domestic business trips or international business trips with a travel distance of up to 500 km by guests of the IFHV should be made by train or other environmentally friendly alternatives (long-distance bus; carpooling). Costs for air travel will only exceptionally be assumed in justified cases. If the travel costs are covered by the guest or a third party, the IFHV asks the guest to consider environmental factors in addition to temporal and monetary factors when choosing the means of travel as part of the invitation.

(3) In its field of research, the IFHV has a special interest in the exchange with scientists and practitioners from the Global South. The IFHV considers it a special responsibility to involve them in the scientific dialogue. Nevertheless, when planning events financed by the IFHV, preference should be given to guests from Europe. In the case of non-European guests, the special interest in inviting the non-European guest should be briefly described, unless the special interest is already evident from the nature of the event or the guest's presentation. In the case of non-European guests, the possibility of combining the visit to the IFHV with other already planned trips to Europe should always be assessed.

(4) Conference materials should be reduced in number and made more ecological.

(5) Responsibility for the type of catering offered lies with the organizers of the event. The IFHV welcomes the decision of organizers for meatless catering

(1) IFHV members should act in an ecologically conscious and energy-saving manner during their work at the IFHV.

(2) Such behavior includes minimizing paper consumption (e.g., printing documents only when necessary, purchasing ecological paper, printing double sided, and ensuring proper disposal of paper).

(3) Such behavior also includes turning off heating and lights while offices are unoccupied and minimizing the use of electricity during working hours (e.g., by using master-slave outlets or energy-saving light bulbs in offices).

In the procurement of materials, the IFHV's management prioritizes the purchase of sustainable, refillable, and durable products.

To adequately compensate for the reduced air mobility, the Institute's management strives for the continuous improvement of the communication technology at the IFHV, e.g., the improvement of the internet quality or the acquisition of other infrastructure.

(1) The IFHV publishes a sustainability balance on its website annually.

(2) IFHV members strive to further integrate the topic of sustainability into their own research.

(3) The Institute’s management strives to refer the IFHV members to educational courses and workshops on sustainability taking place at the RUB.