Public lecture on the climate impact of aviation

All interested parties are invited to attend free of charge in the Central Lecture Hall Building, Audimax 2, at the main campus Cottbus of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU).

"Mayday, Mayday" is the call with which the "PtX Lab Lausitz - Practical Laboratory for Fuels and Base Materials from Green Hydrogen" is taking a closer look at the often underestimated climate impact of aviation. Are there alternatives to conventional fuels? What are the effects of non-CO₂ effects that have hardly been researched to date? And is it even possible to fly in a climate-friendly way without the shame of flying? Anita Demuth, head of the PtX Mobility chair, gets to the bottom of these and other questions. She shows how aviation can become independent of fossil paraffin by using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Synthetic eSAF in particular, produced from renewable energies and green hydrogen, plays a key role. It paves the way for climate-friendly aviation that moves between paraffin alternatives, responsibility and a genuine mobility transition.

Public lecture in the Open BTU series:
Mayday, Mayday: The climate impact of aviation is increasing
Moderation: Prof. Dr Magdalena Mißler-Behr, BTU, Chair of ABWL, in particular Planning, Innovation and Foundation
Date: Wednesday, 3 December 2025, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Location: Main campus of BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Central Lecture Hall Building, Audimax 2, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 3, 03046 Cottbus

Anita Demuth is a graduate economist with experience in scientific work, project management and political consulting. Before joining the "PtX Lab Lausitz - Practical Laboratory for Fuels and Feedstocks from Green Hydrogen", she worked for the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). During various positions in different developing and newly industrialised countries, she managed projects for the financing and implementation of climate protection in companies and in the energy sector at national level. In her current position as head of the PtX Mobility chair at the Lusatian Competence Centre, she is helping to drive forward the development of alternative, electricity-based fuels for a climate-neutral aviation and shipping industry and actively shaping the transition to a sustainable energy future. She focuses on the formulation of sustainability criteria for Power-to-X (PtX), the development of policy instruments for aviation and maritime transport and a holistic view of the mobility transition.

About the Open BTU lecture series
From 15 October 2025 to 28 January 2026, the Open BTU public lecture series will offer insights into exciting fields of knowledge. With this educational format, which is open to all interested parties, the university's Centre for Continuing Education supports lifelong learning and funds the transfer of knowledge and ideas in the region by addressing socially relevant issues. The BTU co-operates with other universities and institutions.

With this educational format, which is open to all interested parties, the University's Centre for Continuing Education supports lifelong learning and funds the transfer of knowledge and ideas in the region by addressing socially relevant issues. The BTU co-operates with other universities and institutions. Each lecture will be followed by an opportunity for questions and dialogue with the speakers. Anyone interested is cordially invited to take part in the wide range of events on offer.

In the current winter semester, the following topic will be explored from different perspectives following the conclusion of the topic of aerospace - Lusatian research above the clouds:

Democracy - past, present and future prospects

14 January 2026
Europe under pressure
Officer: Martin Schulz, board chairperson of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
and former President of the European Parliament

28 January 2026
Meltdown of democracy
Officer: Dr Christoph Maximilian Abels, University of Potsdam,
ERC project PRODEMINFO

More about the public lecture series Open BTU:
https://www.b-tu.de/weiterbildung/offene-hochschule/open-btu