The banded demoiselle is found in Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. In Sweden it is found from the region of Skåne to Uppland. Two of its subspecies are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, an international organisation for nature conservation, sustainable development and biodiversity, which coordinates efforts to develop the Red List of Endangered Plant and Animal Species.

2021-04-06

The University's efforts to reduce its negative environmental impact

Continuous and systematic efforts are being made to reduce the negative environmental impact of the University’s various activities. In particular, activities such as business travel, energy consumption, construction, and the purchase of products and services have a direct and significant impact on the environment.

Uppsala University is constantly working to reduce the environmental impact of all of its activities – and a report on the environmental management work in 2020 shows that a lot of this work is already paying off.
Activities that have a direct and significant impact on the environment are business travel, energy consumption, construction, and the purchase of products and services.

Are you satisfied with the results so far, Environmental Manager Karolina Kjellberg?

“Last year was very special. It’s hard to say that I’m pleased with the year, but we learned a lot from the pandemic. Especially when it comes to meeting digitally instead of travelling. So, there are certainly things from last year to be pleased about.”

What happened in 2020 in these different activity categories?

Business travel

In 2020, the corona pandemic resulted in a radical decrease in the amount of business travel. In certain periods, there were no trips at all. The climate impact of travel was reduced by 67 percent in 2020.

The University does not believe that business travel will return to pre-pandemic levels in the long term, but rather that a lot of meetings will continue to be conducted remotely using digital tools.

Purchasing and reuse

Environmental requirements are always included in procurements, where relevant, for example in the procurement of workwear, branded products, IT infrastructure, and interior design, project design and catering services. In 2020, environmental requirements were included in 62 percent of all completed procurements and purchases. In 2019, this figure was 76 percent.

“Where relevant” – why can’t you have environmental requirements in the procurement of all products?

“For certain types of specialised research equipment, environmental requirements are not relevant. There may only be one suitable supplier in the whole world. But for ‘normal’ products, we always set environmental requirements,” answers Environmental Manager Karolina Kjellberg.

To make it possible to reuse furniture and products internally, there is an internal university “marketplace” , where products can be put on offer. The activity on this “marketplace” has increased in 2020.

Campus buildings

The main focus here is on energy efficiency in buildings. In 2020, total energy consumption was reduced by 7 percent.

The University’s cooperation agreement with Akademiska Hus regarding sustainability includes large-scale installation of solar panels on a number of the University's buildings.

Can you give some examples of campuses with solar panels?

“Yes, solar panel installation has just been completed at Ekonomikum and the English Park Campus, and additional campuses are scheduled to get solar panels according to Akademiska Hus’ plan,” says Karolina Kjellberg.

In a pilot project on the English Park Campus, about SEK 6.5 million has also been invested in energy measures, resulting in more than 12 percent lower energy consumption for campus activities. The project is called el-inclusive and involves including electricity consumption in the rent over a ten-year period to optimise the opportunities for the property owner to make energy investments related to electricity consumption.

Sustainable materials in renovation and new construction

Sustainability-assessed materials and products (assessed by Byggvarubedömningen) are used for all major renovation and new construction projects.

At Campus Gotland, a project has been initiated to create “Sweden’s first climate-neutral lecture hall”. The project is in its infancy, but this is a topic we will definitely return to once the project has progressed.

Development of green campus areas

Within the framework of the cooperation agreement with Akademiska Hus, measures are being implemented to increase the biological diversity in the green area around the Blåsenhus campus. The measures were developed in collaboration with researchers from the University, and include initiatives such as insect hotels, bird houses, nesting spots for birds and hedgehogs, and meadow vegetation. This is a collaboration that will continue.

One project currently in progress is the Campus Garden, where two students received “climate pot” funding to build an urban garden on campus along Villavägen. The project is a collaboration with Akademiska Hus, which is loaning out the land free of charge.

Sustainability in research and education

The indirect impact on the environment includes the research and education carried out at the University. There is a wide range of initiatives here, such as research into renewable energy and energy storage, with strong groupings in areas such as artificial photosynthesis, geothermal energy, batteries, solar panels, hydropower, wave power, and wind power. The University is also active in several projects within the framework of EIT RawMaterials, which aims to strengthen sustainable development and the use of raw materials in Europe.

But it also researches into a number of areas relevant to social and economic sustainability, such as global health, the biology of mental illness, and housing and urban research.

An interdisciplinary support structure and collaborative platform for sustainability research is available in the form of Uppsala University Sustainability Initiatives (UUSI).

Campus Gotland recently launched an interdisciplinary graduate school for sustainable development.

When it comes to the education of students at the University, the goal is for all students to encounter a sustainability perspective in their programmes. Sustainable development is also one of the aspects consistently assessed in the University’s course evaluations.

In addition, programmes and courses with a specific focus on sustainable development are conducted at both the first-cycle and the second-cycle levels in all three of the disciplinary domains.

New environmental plan in progress

The overarching work is in progress to develop a new environmental plan for the University, aimed at achieving significant reductions in the University's climate emissions. A mapping of the University's collective climate footprint will also be completed in 2021.

In addition, there are plans for what is being called a “sustainability arena”, which will provide a physical meeting place for students, staff and the public where ideas about the University's environmental and sustainability work can be captured and translated into concrete action.

To further strengthen work to reduce the climate impact within the University, there is also a funding initiative called the “climate pot”, which was established by the Vice-Chancellor in 2020. With the “climate pot”, employees and students can apply for grants to conduct projects aimed at reducing the University’s climate footprint. The application deadline for 2021 was 28 February.

Gunilla Sthyr

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