Dominik Schmitz
20.11.1978 – 17.5.2022
„Dass die Menschen sich selbst erkennen, dass sie ihr Göttliches entdecken, dass sie schöpferisch werden und ein neuer Himmel und eine neue Erde entsteht – darum mühe ich mich.“ (Edgar Ende)
After a long and serious illness, our dear colleague and friend Dominik Schmitz passed away on 17 May 2022 surrounded by his family and closest friends.
Dominik joined BOKU's Centre for Global Change and Sustainability in November 2011, shortly after it was founded. With impressive commitment, pronounced idealism, great expertise, infectious energy and a wealth of ideas, he has initiated and brought to life a whole range of projects and plans for climate protection in recent years. He was motivated by the desire to make the world a better place and to implement initiatives that have a comprehensive and lasting impact on sustainability. He chose the above quote as a wall print at his first BOKU workplace in the Borkowskigasse barracks. He lived this motto.
Dominik played a key role in the conception, realisation and scientific supervision of the BOKU CO2-offsetting system. His idea of financing climate protection projects with BOKU participation in countries of the Global South through voluntary donations from the Global North fell on fertile ground. Two reforestation projects in Ethiopia and Costa Rica can be carried out for at least another 20 years, while five other climate protection projects in the Global South are running successfully. They achieve greenhouse gas savings through the construction of biogas plants, reforestation and forest protection, composting or water disinfection using UV radiation. All seven of these climate protection projects are very important for sustainable development in the project regions and beyond.
Dominik added offers for CO2-compensation through scientific support and advice on climate protection in companies and organisations. For him, CO2-offsetting is not the solution, but only a small part of climate protection measures. The avoidance of CO2-emissions, he always actively demanded this from donors - especially from the corporate sector.
Dominik has also endeavoured to make BOKU more sustainable in numerous projects. He was involved in the creation of the BOKU sustainability strategy and, together with colleagues from Graz University of Technology, developed a science-based tool for the climate assessment of universities, which is now used by a number of Austrian universities and universities of applied sciences to develop climate protection strategies. These activities have resulted in climate neutrality strategies for currently 12 Austrian universities.
Dominik also passed on his conviction that creative, scientifically sound, cooperative and committed action can lead to a sustainable future in his teaching and student counselling. In courses such as Junior Enterprise, Sustainability Challenge, Sustainable Entrepreneurship or Courage for Sustainability, he motivated and supported students intensively in becoming active in practice themselves. In addition to smaller student projects, several start-up companies also emerged from these courses, which continue to operate successfully in the field of sustainability.
In addition to his work at BOKU, he was also an entrepreneur himself and worked in business development at the start-up company Swimsol, which is now a global leader in floating photovoltaic systems.
Appreciative and trusting cooperation in project work, as well as the development of the team culture, were particularly important to Dominik. He always kept an eye on his environment and, above all, us colleagues with great benevolence, attention and humour.
Dominik approached his work with great joy and energy and seemed to succeed in many things effortlessly. Only rarely did he realise that the abundance of challenges and tasks was pushing him to his limits. His sources of strength were his family, his large circle of friends, his love of nature, his great idealism and pronounced optimism. They also carried him through the difficult time of his illness.
In Dominik, we are not only losing a very competent and committed colleague, but also an exceptionally helpful, benevolent and caring colleague; for many of us, he was a friend and companion for many years. He leaves a huge gap and we already miss him very much. We will continue on our path, which was also his, with great gratitude for many years of working and living together. The seed that Dominik planted has sprouted abundantly and borne much fruit; it is up to us to continue to nurture and multiply it.
Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family!
The team at the Centre for Global Change and Sustainability
