Open Invitation to Researchers at Swedish Universities

Help Us Set Scientific Goals for Climate and Sustainability!

Higher Education’s Climate Network and the Network for Environmental Management in Higher Education Institutions invite researchers at Swedish universities to help us set university-wide goals and metrics for climate and sustainability.

BACKGROUND
Sweden’s 38 higher education institutions are striving to reduce their climate impact in accordance with the Paris Agreement and the national target for Sweden to be climate-neutral by 2045, as well as the global goals for sustainable development. Higher institutes can contribute to society’s transition through education, research, and collaboration, but also by transforming their own operations. To speed up the efforts of higher education institutions in addressing climate and sustainability issues, we require a unified direction and collective strength to ensure we all progress together at the same pace. There is an extensive knowledge at Swedish universities that could be very helpful for our future work. To ensure that the work is constructive and based on scientific grounds, we are looking for your help.

Since 2019, the Climate Framework for Higher institutions has guided our work. The framework has identified 13 areas that higher education institutions should work on in their climate and sustainability efforts. These are:
1. Business travelling
2. Commuter travelling, travel to and from work
3. Food and catering
4. Energy use, operation of building stock, research, and educational activities
5. Facilities and buildings
6. Waste management
7. Procurement and purchasing of goods and services
8. Investments
9. Carbon sinks
10. Education
11. Research
12. Collaboration and utilization
13. Students

Since 2022, we have been working together within the Higher Education’s Climate Network to develop university-wide guidelines and recommendations for how higher education institutions in Sweden should reduce their climate impact in various operational areas, such as buildings, procurement of goods and services, and business travel. The network also organizes knowledge seminars, and in autumn 2022, it conducted the seminar “The Sustainable Researcher” in collaboration with several sustainability researchers, a cooperation we now wish to continue.

We are now addressing all researchers and experts in one or more areas relevant to the climate and sustainability work of higher education institutions, and to those who have knowledge of how to formulate objectives to have an impact. Where the effect can be measured quantitatively, we would like to receive suggestions or targets. We welcome proposals for both climate targets and broader sustainability targets.
The proposals for goals, etc. that are submitted, will be processed, and a consolidated proposal for university-wide climate and sustainability goals will be developed, with the hope that SUHF (The Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions) will endorse these, to ensure they become widely accepted among higher education institutions in Sweden.

OUR QUESTIONS
• Do you think that higher education institutions in Sweden should have scientifically based climate and sustainability goals?

• If yes, what science-based climate and sustainability goals should higher education institutions in Sweden have? Provide suggestions for general goals or goals for one or more areas (1-13) in the Climate Framework.

• To what years should the respectively proposed goals be set?

• What should we measure and follow up? Provide suggestions for general follow-up measures or follow-up measures for one or more areas (1-13) in the Climate Framework.

• Are there areas that higher education institutions focus on too much, but that actually have very little effect? Which areas should we prioritize in our climate and sustainability work of higher education institutions?

• Is there anything else you consider relevant for the continued climate and sustainability work of higher education institutions?

TIMELINE
This invitation is open between October 25th and December 15th.
Responses are requested, either via email to karolina.aloisi@mau.se or via this web form.

WARM WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE!

Higher Education’s Climate Network and the Network for Environmental Management in Higher Education Institutions