Umeå University wants to actively contribute to the transition to a sustainable society. Since I started as University Director in 2020, my ambition has been to increase the pace of the University's sustainability work. When summarising the work over the past three years, I'm pleased to note that we've implemented 39 out of 40 measures in the 2021–2023 action plan for climate and sustainability, and achieved several excellent results.
Overall, the University has a very positive indirect impact on climate and the environment. Our purpose is to provide high-quality education to students and conducting research that contributes to new knowledge and new solutions to present and future societal challenges.
Hans Wiklund, University Director
Photo: Mattias Pettersson
- University education study programmes which that integrate sustainable development have increased from 77% in 2019 to 84% in 2023.
- Research that contributes to the sustainable development goals global sustainability goals in of the 2030 Agenda 2030 has increased. The single largest knowledge contribution from Umeå University, in terms of research volume, is the goal of Good health and well-being.
At the same time, the University's activities also naturally have a negative direct impact on the climate and environment, which is important to reduce in a sensible way. According to the environmental investigation, which shows which activities have a direct or indirect impact on the climate and the environment, the University's direct impact comes primarily from four areas.
- business and work-related travel to and from campus;
- energy use and utilisation of premises;
- use of chemicals and laboratory activities; and
- waste management.
The annual report on climate and environmental work that the University recently submitted to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency shows several positive results.
- Business travel by air reduced by 40% from 2019 to 2023, while the number of employees increased.
- Energy use reduced by 9% from 160 to 146 kWh per square metre between 2019 and 2023, while the number of employees and students increased.
- Office utilisation increased from 21% in 2019 to 32% in 2023, according to the sensor data available for some buildings on campus.
- Procurements with environmental requirements increased from 24% in 2019 to 62% in 2023.
- The amount of combustible waste decreased by 31%, from 440 tons in 2019 to 303 tons in 2023.
- Waste sorting was introduced in public areas in 2023, and work is underway to introduce it in other premises.
Although much has developed in a clearly positive direction, there is always room for improvement. For example, when it comes to changes utilisation of premises based on changed ways of working in the wake of the pandemic. On average, university offices are used just over 30 per cent of working hours, university-wide teaching and meeting rooms just over 60 per cent of working hours, and departments' and units' premises that cannot be booked by other parts of the organisation are used just over 10 per cent of working hours. The situation is similar in many other organisations, and several other higher education institutions have launched development initiatives to clarify how future needs for premises to conduct high-quality education and research can be met.
The results of the University's dedicated climate and environmental work are also reflected in international sustainability rankings. In the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking – which brings together over 1,700 higher education institutions from 150 countries – Umeå University has improved significantly from a relatively low result in the range 401–600 to a result in the range 301–400, an improvement of approximately 200 places.
I'm now looking forward to taking steps towards further improvements with several measures listed in Umeå University's new action plan for climate and sustainability for the period 2024–2026.