Everything about Sustainability

Financial mathematician Ralf Korn is working on ways to make climate-friendly investments – such as those in renewable energy – more effective using mathematical models. His formulas could even help develop a kind of “global-warming mechanism” for stocks. In the future, this would allow investment portfolios to automatically adjust to ongoing climate changes.

When it comes to climate, agriculture comes under scrutiny. A researcher shows how digital data management can help make the carbon footprint of agricultural production transparent.

Yoghurt, pharmaceuticals, specialty coatings: many products are manufactured in multi-stage, finely tuned steps known as batch processes. These are sensitive operations: poor timing can ruin an entire batch. A research team is developing new concepts to help manufacturers rethink these traditionally rigid workflows. The reason? Electricity from renewable sources comes with fluctuating availability and prices, demanding greater flexibility from industrial production.

From May to September, tractors surrounded by clouds of spray are a familiar sight in vineyards and fields. The pesticides they apply are intended to protect plants from pests and diseases. However, since these chemicals do not easily break down, they accumulate in the soil as complex mixtures. Their effects are still poorly understood.

The civil engineer Henning Knerr is refining technologies for wastewater treatment plants that can remove environmentally hazardous synthetic substances – such as painkillers or X-ray contrast agents – from sewage.

Groundwater is our most important source of drinking water and crucial to the water cycle. At the same time, it is an ecosystem with a diverse community of organisms. The organisms living there contribute to drinking water quality through material and energy cycles.

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted Agenda 2030 with 17 goals for social, economically, and environmentally sustainable development. But how can the topic of sustainability be brought into school and thus into society at large?

Fabian Jirasek uses artificial intelligence to predict the properties of pure substances and mixtures. The goal is to help the industry develop new active ingredients and chemicals more sustainably in the future.

Heat, drought, and even unexpected frosts during an unusually warm spring – the effects of climate change are increasingly taking a toll on agriculture. Researchers and plant breeders around the world are analyzing ways to counter these challenges. One approach: genetically modifying crops so that they can withstand drought, high temperatures, and other changing environmental conditions.

Microplastics in the world's oceans – a problem that concerns many environmentally conscious people. What many do not know is that the same plastics are also found in our soil. It is estimated that five to twenty times more plastic is found on land than in water. What does all this mean for the environment – and ultimately for our health? RPTU researchers are working on answers and solutions.