The MHH's integration model , with its close interweaving of research, teaching and patient care, has always aimed to provide sustainable medical care for humanity. This model will continue to be very important for the social and societal challenges facing humanity in view of the constantly increasing demands resulting from climate change and environmental pollution.

The MHH has therefore been concerned with environmental protection and sustainability for many years.

For example, the MHH has only used certified green electricity since 2017, the green spaces are used and nurtured in an ecologically optimized manner, and the particularly climate-damaging anaesthetic gas desflurane is no longer used. Since the MHH was built, thermal energy has been supplied via the City of Hanover's district heating network, which is already largely sustainable. Natural gas is currently only used for the cooling energy systems; the renewal and conversion of the systems is being planned.

In 2019, after intensive planning and consultation with the state of Lower Saxony, the decision was made to construct new buildings for patient care, which will significantly advance the energy optimization of the MHH campus in the future.

In line with the HRK's 2018 recommendation "For a culture of sustainability", MHH has established a Green Office at MHH.

Since then, the basis for sustainability at the MHH has been the university-specific sustainability code "Hoch-N" of the Federal Ministry of Education, derived from the German Sustainability Code DNK. With its 20 fields of action in the areas of strategy, process management, environment and society, Hoch-N serves to implement the 2030 Agenda with the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In 2022, this approach was expanded into the Green Circle. In this joint platform of the MHH departments Research and Teaching, Patient Care, Management and Administration and Students, the MHH organizational units relevant to the above 20 fields of action are bundled as a matrix organization under the leadership of the authorised representative for sustainability. Green Circle is the central platform for internal and external Communications on sustainability, for the inclusion of improvement measures and for the mutual coordination of medium and long-term fields of action. A central element of this is the portfolio management of measures and areas of action led by the Sustainability Officer, which are reviewed, evaluated, prioritized and implemented by the responsible departments.

In 2022, MHH adopted an environmental gu ideline based on the new MHH mission statement as part of the management system and as a manageable summary of the sustainability strategy for internal and external Communications. The environmental guideline not only places responsibility on the institution itself, but also on each member with their personal influence as part of a general culture of sustainability.

In 2022-2023, MHH is taking part in the internationally recognized "Ökoprofit" programme under the auspices of the Region and City of Hanover in order to further develop its environmental protection activities and have them audited by an external body.

The first sustainability report based on the university-specific sustainability code Hoch-N will be written for the 2023 financial year and is due to be presented in the first quarter of 2024. This report will also take into account the European CSRD Directive, which is expected to become mandatory for MHH from the 2025 financial year.

The current activities and status are presented on the MHH website for interested members of the public. A separate internal MHH section has been created on the intranet as a communications and work platform. Internal and external stakeholders can easily contact the Green Circle via the intranet portal, telephone and e-mail.

• Sustainability is the common approach of the MHH as an integrative optimization of the ecological, economic and social dimensions from the individual activity to the orientation of the MHH.
• It is based on the Hannover Medical School's mission statement and the University-specific Sustainability Code HOCH-N of the BMBF in accordance with the recommendation of the HRK from 2018.
• The 20 fields of action of the Sustainability Code are perceived by MHH's mandate holders as existing competencies.
• The environmental guideline is the manageable summary of our sustainability strategy for internal and external Communications.
• "Green Office" remains an option for students as an independent institution.
• "GreenCircle":
  
  • is the joint platform for developing a culture of sustainability
  • manages the portfolio of fields of action for the mandate holders
  • is the central point for internal and external Communications on sustainability
  • coordinates the regular reporting on sustainability at MHH
  • is managed by the Project Management Administrative Unit.

The recommendation of the 25th HRK on November 6, 2018(For a culture of sustainability - German Rectors' Conference (hrk.de)) provides important impetus for sustainability at universities:

• The central goal must be to develop a culture of sustainability at universities.
• Sustainable development should be given a special role in their target system. It should be part of the strategy papers.
• It should be taken into account in the design of governance.
• It should be the subject of regular reporting.
• Concrete steps for implementation should be developed.
• The individual motivation and personal commitment of employees should be encouraged.

The university-specific sustainability code HOCH-N is mentioned as a possibility for implementation.

As a common basis for implementing the German Sustainability Strategy, the university-specific sustainability code "HOCH-N" was described in 2018 under the leadership of the BMBF with these 20 fields of action, which also guide us at the MHH:

Strategy:

• Strategic analysis
• Fields of action
• Goals
• Organizational anchoring

Process management:

• Responsibility
• Rules and processes
• Ensuring the quality of results
• Incentive systems
• Stakeholder participation
• Transformation

Environment:

• Utilization and management of natural resources
• Real estate, construction, open spaces (campus design)
• Greenhouse gas emissions

Society:

• Participation of university members
• Equal opportunities
• Qualification
• Human rights
• Common good
• Social influence
• Behavior in compliance with laws and guidelines

The 20 HOCH-N fields of action are assigned as mandates to MHH employees, who work together in the Green Circle to develop a culture of sustainability for MHH:

- Sustainability is overarching: participation comes from all MHH departments.
- We use existing MHH structures - and continue to develop.
- The mandate holders have the technical expertise to examine and support the content of ideas.
- The organizational competence provides the necessary scope for the implementation of concrete measures.
- A critical eye and creativity go hand in hand: New impulses are utilized by the mandate holders.
- Sustainable solutions pay off: the right view of what is feasible is important for successful implementation.

You can find the MHH mandates here (MHH internal link)

Under this link you will find our detailed environmental statement.

You can find a short version of our environmental statement here.