BOKU mourns the loss of Dominik Schmitz
We mourn the loss of our dear colleague and friend.
About us
Our vision is a climate-neutral Austria in a climate-friendly world. With scientific expertise and great passion, we work on making climate neutrality tangible and a reality for our customers and partners.
We provide companies, institutions, and civil society with independent expert information, advice, and tried-and-tested tools to successfully facilitate climate protection. In this way, we help to set the course towards a sustainable society in Austria and abroad.
The following employees of the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna are currently active with the GradWanderer. From long-time professionals to dedicated students, the range of employees is highly diverse! Together we share the joy in our work and our ambition for climate neutrality.
Our team culture is characterised by active participation and respect within a flat hierarchies with a self-determined approach. Collaboration at eye level is essential for us; hence we also embody this in our dealings with our customers.
Since 2020, our team has been supported annually by an intern as part of the Voluntary Environmental Year (FUJ). An insight into their activities is provided by this interview with three of our previous FUJ interns.
Scientific project member, many years of experience in project management and the conceptualization of climate/energy strategies
DIin Sarah Siemers
Student of environmental politics, flimmaker at Jolo Films, hobby physicist, excel specialist for the competence centre
Maximilian Auer
Several years of activity in the field of environment and sustainability on the local, national and international level. Experience with projects and campaigns in the areas climate protection, circular economy, participation as well as EU trade policy.
Joachim Thaler, MA
International teaching and consultation experience in the field participative and collaborative project development; holistic accompaniment of sustainability projects and project teams
Daniel Körner, Msc
30 years of research experience in the field organic agriculture, CO2-accounting, sustainable nutrition, sustainable development.
Dr. Thomas Lindenthal
We mourn the loss of our dear colleague and friend.
In loving memory Dominik Schmitz
Bsc. Environment and Bioresource Management, student worker, experience in the area climate communication and project management as well as CO2-accounting
Sigrid Karl, Bsc
Praktikant im Rahmen des Freiwilligen Umweltjahres (FUJ)
Fabian Holzner
An innovation is born at BOKU
Our story began in 2010 with the establishment of the BOKU CO2-compensation system. The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna was then, and still is today, the only university to implement and promote its own climate protection projects. The original idea was to offset unavoidable flights by BOKU staff and students. The first project with which we started our venture was a forest reforestation project in North Gondar, Ethiopia.
Growing external interest
Soon, private individuals and companies also began to take interest in the possibility of CO2-compensation. To date, we have been able to successfully launch numerous climate mitigation initiatives thanks to the many donations received. Our scientific advisory board has supported us in the selection of the projects from the very beginning.
Expansion towards climate neutrality
Demand for climate neutrality and how to achieve it in companies and organisations increased, particularly after the adoption of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. We therefore expanded our offering at the start of 2020
We now also offer advice for organisations on reducing their own emissions and knowledge transfer in the area of climate neutrality. This expansion process was also accompanied by a new name and the launch
a new website.
Raising climate awareness
Co-designing standards, guidelines and norms for climate neutrality in order to sensitise customers, partners and the (specialist) public to this issue
Enabling climate neutrality
Developing know-how and tools for achieving climate neutrality and disseminate knowledge on to our customers through consultation
Supporting climate mitigation and offsetting projects
Developing climate mitigation projects in countries in the Global South in compliance with the highest social, ecological, and ethical standards, while financing them through compensation payments
