The Importance of Sustainability Criteria for the Professional Education of Geo-engineers and the Role of Academic Institutions

The sustainable use of geo-resources is an important prerequisite for the acceptance of mineral extraction in our society, both nationally and globally. A growing world population—9.8 billion people are forecast for the year 2050—requires the extraction of additional mineral resources. In contrast, the acceptance of mineral extraction in our society has decreased significantly. That development can be counteracted by raising the awareness for sustainability in mining. For this purpose, academic programs in mining engineering teach their students to manage future extraction of minerals in an environmentally friendly manner. Global annual surveys in the mining industry show that sustainable mining and processing has become a focus of industry executives. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria and license to operate are perceived as significant risk factors. The Georg Agricola University (THGA) in Bochum, Germany, takes a holistic approach to sustainability. THGA’s motto “sustainability: engineering for a better world” reflects the training of its students as well as the focus of the university. The paper illustrates how universities can implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the project work, in the professional training and education of geo-engineers to maintain “social license to operate.” The following presents three examples of SDG implementation at THGA. The first example covers the post-industrial phase of coal mining in the Ruhr region. About 10 billion t of hard coal were produced in the past 150 years. Mining ended in 2018 but the industry continues to manage the risks of rising mine water levels and methane releases into the environment. THGA established the Research Center of Post-Mining (FZN), strives to objectify the public discussion of post-mining environmental impacts through research activities, extensive monitoring and reporting. The second example is storage of natural gas, crude oil and helium in salt caverns near the town of Gronau-Epe close to the German-Netherlands border. There, salt extraction has created large caverns in which is stored. Disputes between cavern operators and local residents are generated by ground movements, which in the long term may cause subsidence, damage to buildings and altered ground water levels. THGA has significant expertise in raw material extraction and process engineering and supports these research activities. The third example outlines the project “green campus” at THGA. With its envisioned Green Campus, the THGA can become a sustainable oasis of knowledge. In the planning process the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations play a decisive role.