Mission 2030: Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI) teaches pupils that sustainability is a matter of climate protection and justice

How do social and economic conditions influence sustainable behaviour? Pupils from the Katharinen-Gymnasium and the Reuchlin-Gymnasium in Ingolstadt explored this question as part of the ‘Mission 2030’ educational programme. The series of events was organised by the City of Ingolstadt’s Sustainability Unit in collaboration with THI and the Audi Foundation for the Environment GmbH.

The series kicked off with the workshop ‘(In)voluntarily sustainable? Climate-friendly lifestyles as a question of justice’, run by the Research and Transfer Center Sustainability Neuburg (ForTraNN) at THI and led by Dr Anna-Lisa Klages. In a simulation exercise, the young people put themselves in the shoes of various households and decided how they would allocate their available budget. This highlighted the influence that financial leeway has on climate-friendly decisions. The participants then discussed how climate protection, social justice and political frameworks are interlinked, and what contribution both individuals and society as a whole can make.

The programme was complemented by a presentation of the ‘Nunam’ project run by the Audi Environmental Foundation. In this project, end-of-life batteries from Audi e-tron vehicles are given a new lease of life: They store solar power to charge electric rickshaws in India, thereby combining resource conservation with social inclusion. To round off the event, the pupils visited the interactive special exhibition ‘Mission 2030 – Experience Global Goals’ at the Ingolstadt City Museum.

Through its workshop, the THI demonstrated how scientific findings can be communicated in an engaging way. The aim is to raise awareness among young people that the path to sustainable development does not depend solely on individual behaviour, but equally on political, economic and social conditions.