SDU’s concrete and ambitious climate plan should have been completed by now.
SDU does not have a climate plan like Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen. This is remarkable as SDU has taken on the ambitious role as a SDG university. The seriousness of the climate crisis implies that large societally leading institutions like SDU should take a larger part of the responsibility.
In April 2021, SDU launched its first “Sustainability Report” illustrating the SDG activities that have been initiated since September 2019. The students at SDU are enthusiastic about the university’s focus on the SDGs and sustainability. However, it is our opinion that the university should make priority to SDG 13 (climate action) over the other SDGs now and in future. We are facing a climate crisis that will now and at sight have a huge impact on our planet, future generations and people living in the global south. Therefore, the climate crisis should be addressed as the crisis it is, which requires extensive action in society inclusive of the country’s universities. SDU is not an exception. In our opinion SDU should take more climate-responsibility so that the workplaces and institutions of the society are inspired to do the same. With 30,000 students and 4,000 employees SDU could cause a ripple effect and educate citizens for the future sustainable society. The educational institutions are important players in the climate challenge as illustrated in an open letter from 606 researchers with the same message that the universities should lead the way in the climate challenge.
We call for clearer goals and subsidiary goals
It can be taken from the sustainability report that SDU has implemented better waste sorting and reduced its energy consumption by 35 % per full-time employee. However, if you look at future initiatives it is very indistinct what happens next. We call for concrete objectives, more climate initiatives and an ambitious plan for how and to which extent the greenhouse gas emission from campus will be reduced. According to the report, SDU will replace the vehicle fleet with electric and hybrid cars, which is one step along the road but still far from an ambitious and necessary transport policy inclusive of air travels in connection with SDU’s activities. The 606 researchers attach great importance to guidelines for air travels in their open letter. SDU has previously expressed its concern for working out a travel policy, as SDU is an international university that depends on i.a. participation in conferences abroad.
SDU’s lack of restrictions on air travels is in stark contrast with i.a. The University of Copenhagen that has imposed restrictions on their employees’ air travels. The corona crisis has also proven that many meetings can be held virtually. SDU should therefore take a closer look at its transport policy and work out concrete guidelines for staff and students.
We demand green educations in future
In order to ensure a continuous work with SDU’s climate actions we encourage SDU to work out a so-called climate plan like Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen. The climate plan must be ambitious and have concrete subsidiary goals and deadlines for completion of the goals. In this way, the university can always be sure to work focused on the climate efforts. In addition to a transport policy the climate plan should contain a plan for greener educations.
In March 2021, 12 pupils’ and students’ organisations teamed up to make the campaign “Educations for the future”. The target was and still is to get a green transition on examination syllabus on all educations. The demands for the universities inclusive of SDU are i.a.:
- There must be teaching in green transition on all educations.
- That the university has a responsible investment policy.
- There must be an increased focus on green research within all subject areas.
- There must be objectives about reduction of the university’s ecological footprint from various activities.
- A sustainable culture must be part of the objects clause of the individual educations.
- The universities must have a responsible transport policy with concrete guidelines for i.a. air travel.
SDU’s climate plan can take advantage of the demands of the campaign. In our opinion, many focus areas can be initiated now. As already mentioned, we must get to work immediately, and a climate plan must be worked out a.s.a.p. in cooperation with SDU’s players and students. Therefore, we strongly encourage SDU to join the other universities and make its own ambitious climate plan. With a goal-oriented climate plan and subsequent action SDU can demonstrate that it takes its climate-responsibility seriously.
Writers
Christel Louisa Burrett and Kristine Benedikte Arbo De Besche - Active members of the The green student movement
