Environmental work at SLU Skara

 If you have an idea of how our environmental work can be improved, or if you want to call attention to something that does not conform with our procedures, you can report the matter in our reporting system (link below). The purpose of reporting non-conformities or leaving improvement proposals is to counter any shortcomings and errors and to help us to constantly improve our environmental performance. All employees and students can contribute.

Report an environmental matter >>

In practice, the certification means to systematize, clarify and document the SLU-site Skara's environmental impact, environmental policy, operational routines and the continuous work to improve our environmental impact according to the principle:

Environmental policy

SLU's environmental policy was adopted in 2011 and concerns the following:

"SLU will contribute to ecological, social and economically sustainable development. Environmental thinking and environmental aspects shall be integrated into all decision-making and all activities within all SLU's work units. applicable environmental legislation as a basis."

SLU in Skara works with research, education and collaboration on animals, environment and rural production issues.

We will contribute to ecologically, socially and economically sustainable development in accordance with the country's national environmental goals.

Environmental thinking and environmental aspects must be integrated into all decision-making and all activities.

Our environmental work is based on continuous improvements with existing environmental legislation as a basis.

SLU Skara's environmental goals:

◾ Decrease SLU Skara's negative impact on the environment and natural resources

       - By maintaining / reducing current energy consumption with the help of continued energy mapping of the various activities' energy consumption.

       - Increase the proportion of purchases in SLU's e-commerce system Proceedo, which holds procured consumables and services marked with "good environmental choice". The implementation is carried out by means of a continuous follow-up of the statistics regarding the use of procurement of goods and services in Proceedo. Further information on the importance of trading goods and services through Proceedo will be given to staff of purchasing managers at central level.

       - No domestic flights by air should be included in SLU Skara's operations starting January 1, 2019 and closing date December 31, 2021.

       -  Maintain / reduce current energy consumption in SLU Skara's new premises. End date March 2021

 
◾ Increase SLU Skara's positive environmental impact

       - Increase the knowledge of research students on sustainable development by examining the proportion of doctoral students who believe that they have gained better knowledge in the area

      - Increase SLU Skara's share of web-based courses by 100% with start year 2015. End date December 2018

      - Increase the number of students / participants taking part in Skara produced web-based courses with start year 2015. End date December 2018.

     - That at least one activity during the year communicates the environmental benefit of the research or investments / infrastructure that generated environmental benefit starting January 2017. End date December 2019.

The environmental handbook a “virtual guide”, a collection of documents which together form the basis for the environmental management system. The handbook has no legal status and is only a compilation of documents. It explains how to carry out environment work. It contains descriptions of the environmental objectives, environmentally damaging activities, who does what in various parts of our operations as well as key procedures on environmental consideration and emergency preparedness. An environmental handbook is a requirement under the ISO 14001 standard.

Link to the handbook

Current report of SLU Skara's environmental work (March 2019)

Environmental Objective 1 (Reduce SLU Skara's negative impact on the environment and natural resources)

• Energy consumption: SLU Skara's office premises on the campus area have, from measurement start-up 2012 through December 2016, reduced energy consumption by an average of 21 per cent. Adding to the reduced energy consumption of the operations during the measurement period is that there have been several changes in operations, with the consequence of reduced activity.
  A new environmental goal has been decided and includes energy mapping of SLU Skara's various activities after the premises have been abolished, renovated and received energy-saving measures in the form of improved light sources etc.
  The research stations Götala and Lanna are not included in the environmental goal, but the energy consumed comes to 100% from renewable energy sources and that a continuous energy survey is carried out with 2012 as the start year. The energy mapping at the research stations shows on average an even energy consumption with some variation over the years, depending on research projects and weather conditions.
  
  
• The number of IT trips (the use of video conferencing) in comparison with the 2013 level would increase by 15 per cent up to and including 2016. The environmental objective has been achieved. A survey conducted by SLU Skara's personnel received a result that showed that the IT travel in relation to the physical travel increased by 68 percent. The result is based on the development from 2013 to 2017.
  
  
• Purchases: With the help of information about Proceedo's benefits and trained staff who are helpful in purchasing through Proceedo, a continuous increase in orders in Proceedo has taken place from the start of measurement 2014 until December 2018. The average increase in the number of Proceedo orders from the measurement start 2014 is 79% and for the same period for ecolabelled purchases has increased by 80%.
  
  
• All staff have taken part in a theoretical education in eco-driving. Staff who work with heavy machinery (tractors, loaders, etc.) have also carried out a practical eco-driving training.

Environmental Objective 2 (Increase SLU Skara's positive environmental impact)

• A current status report on results for doctoral students who answered questions on sustainable development in the study plan shows that more than half felt that they had increased their awareness and knowledge in sustainable development. On the question of how they increased their awareness, all doctoral students responded that they had taken part in education and lecture sessions, which were offered in connection with SLU Skara's environmental management work, such as eco-driving, lecture in sustainable development, e-meeting technology training and more.

• One of SLU Skara's positive environmental goals is to increase SLU Skara's range of web-based courses by 100 percent from 2015 to 2018. This environmental goal has been achieved. Currently, there are 14 web-based courses and more are underway. To achieve this result, activities to achieve the environmental goal have been met. Among other facilities equipped with modern technology for distance education.
  
  
• The number of course participants who completed the courses in 2016 compared to 2015 shows an increase of approximately four per cent. Between 2016 and 2017, the number of course participants who completed the network-based courses decreased by three per cent. The compilation for the number of participants who completed online-based courses for 2018 has not yet been compiled, but the forecast looks positive.
  
  

Environmental aspects

SLU in Skara works actively to increase the positive environmental impact. For example, by offering courses and courses that increase the students' knowledge of sustainable development and the opportunity for the staff to share courses / lectures / information that concern current environmental goals and improvements in the different areas of activity.

• SLU has overall environmental goals in the field of business travel, which means that SLU will reduce carbon dioxide emissions from travelers by ten percent and full-time employees, by the end of 2020 compared with 2013.
  
  
• Carbon dioxide emissions from domestic travel by air will, in comparison with 2013, decrease by 20 per cent and full-year employees, up to and including 2020.
  - At SLU in Skara in 2013, no domestic flights of 50 kilometers were carried out and a carbon dioxide reduction of 34 per cent for domestic trips over 50 kilometers.
  
  
• All procured contracts where environmental requirements are deemed relevant to make based on environmental risk analysis, will result in more good environmental choices in connection with purchases in Proceedo.
  
  
• Fossil fuels for heating must be phased out as soon as possible, but no later than the end of 2016. Within the environment of SLU Skara, this environmental goal has been achieved.

• SLU will, on its own properties, save energy by at least one percent per square meter and year, 2012 constitutes base year. In other words, it is expressed that up to and including 2020, at least nine per cent per square meter should have total energy savings. Through annual energy mapping of Skara's operations, energy use is controlled.

Read more about SLU's overall environmental work at Medarbetarwebben.

Only in Swedish

Revisions 2018
External audit October 10-12: report
External audit October 10-12: agenda
External audit October 10-12: audit report
Internal audit April 12: audit report

Revisions 2017

External audit October 10-11: report
External audit October 10-11: presentation
External audit October 10-11: agenda
Internal audit September 5: audit report

Revisions 2016

External audit October 11-12: report
External audit October 11-12: presentation
External audit October 11-12: agenda
Internal audit September 6: audit report

Revisions 2015

External audit October 20-21: report
External audit October 20-21: presentation
External audit October 20-21: agenda
Internal audit September 3: audit report

Revisions 2014

External audit October 16-17: report
External audit October 16-17: presentation
External audit October 16-17: agenda
Internal audit September 4: audit report

Revisions 2013

External audit October 15-16: report
External audit October 15-16: presentation
External audit October 15-16: agenda
Internal audit September 12: audit report

Revisions 2012

External audit October 8-11: report
External audit October 8-11: agenda
Internal audit September 13: audit report

Om så önskas kan rapporter, revisionsrapporter, presentationer och dagordningar som ej är länkade, att fås genom miljösamordnare Karin Wallin, (Institutionen för husdjurens miljö och hälsa), tel 0511-671 38

All interested parties are warmly welcome to contact the environmental coordinator to obtain further information about the local environmental work.

Further information about SLU's main purposes of establishing an environmental management system can be found here.