Fans were waving incessantly at the Degginger. The air was stagnant, the thermometer read around 32 degrees, and yet the event hall was packed to the rafters. The guests had a good reason to persevere in such heat: the heatwave outside was alarmingly fitting for the topic of the evening.
As part of Regensburg City’s Sustainability Week, meteorologist Karsten Schwanke spoke at the invitation of OTH Regensburg about climate change and extreme weather. Under the title ‘Understanding Climate Change – Shaping Prosperity’, Schwanke demonstrated just how rapidly the climate is changing and why this dynamic is often difficult for us to grasp: the trend is not linear, but exponential. His analyses were particularly compelling when backed up by specific data from the region. Twelve consecutive days above 30 degrees, seven of which were above 35 degrees – a heatwave in June the likes of which Regensburg has never seen before. And that, according to Schwanke, is only the beginning.
He looked not only at the region but also at the global context, explaining in accessible terms how extreme weather arises and why it is becoming increasingly frequent. It also became clear that simply looking the other way or waiting to see what happens won’t work.
The impact of climate change on prosperity
The subsequent panel discussion also demonstrated that resignation is not an option: Prof. Dr Georg Stephan Barfuß, Head of Economic, Scientific and Financial Affairs for the City of Regensburg, Prof. Dr Michael Sterner, Professor of Energy Storage and Energy Economics at OTH Regensburg, and Martina Birk, Head of Sustainability at KRONES AG, joined meteorologist Karsten Schwanke in the discussion. The discussion centred on the interplay between climate change and prosperity, the social consequences for different sections of the population, and the concrete scope for action available to business, politics and society in times of profound transformation. Many questions also came directly from the audience, highlighting just how much the issue is on people’s minds.
For OTH Regensburg, the event also served as an expression of its own commitment. “For us, sustainability is not an abstract goal, but part of our day-to-day activities,” emphasised Dr Maja Stojanović-Blab, Head of Operations at the Sustainability Unit at OTH Regensburg, at the opening. With information stands run by the European university alliance ARTEMIS (Alliance for Regional Transition, Equality, Mobility, Inclusion and Sustainability) and the Centre for Continuing Education and Knowledge Management, the university demonstrated how research, teaching and knowledge transfer are interlinked.
‘Climate Scale’ at Campus Day gave food for thought
And OTH Regensburg’s presence at Sustainability Week extended beyond the evening at the Degginger: at Campus Day on Thursday 25 June, held under the theme ‘Campus of the Future’, visitor numbers were lower than usual due to the heat – but the Green Spot still provided plenty to talk about. The “Climate Scale” in particular gave people food for thought: how much of an impact does a vegan diet have on the climate compared to a holiday without flying? The answer: roughly the same. Avoiding takeaway cups and AI-powered search queries don’t have quite such a big impact, but perhaps they do when added up? Various combinations encouraged people to rethink their own behaviour.
The event culminated in the closing ceremony of Fair Trade Film Week on Friday 26 June, organised by the City of Regensburg’s Fairtrade Steering Group and hosted by OTH Regensburg: in the university’s largest lecture theatre, which was packed to the rafters, around 650 school pupils from Regensburg watched the film ‘Checker Tobi 3 – The Secret Ruler of the Earth’. An accessible introduction to big questions and a fitting conclusion to a week that demonstrated just how close the issue of climate change has long been to us.
The message of the week remains: climate change is not a distant scenario, but a tangible reality. OTH Regensburg is using this insight to impart knowledge, spark discussions and highlight concrete solutions.
