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Our planet is under pressure. We face complex challenges around environment, health and climate change. Ecological, social and economic interests must be balanced. Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ has a great deal of knowledge about the health of plants, animals, people (including young people specifically, ecosystems and the planet, about cultures and how they influence and determine our dealings with nature, and about how institutions can contribute to necessary changes or transitions. Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ sees the climate crisis as an urgent problem and takes responsibility for it from the perspective of its social mission.

Sustainability research

We take a comprehensive approach and keep the long-term prospects in mind. Both in the faculties and in the strategic themes, research is conducted and knowledge is developed from disciplinary, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches in order to contribute to sustainable transitions. For example, researchers are considering the future of agriculture with the aim of creating a food system that is more resilient to environmental and climate change. Some researchers seek solutions in technical developments, others focus on restoring ecological balance, and still others look at governance challenges. In doing so, we collaborate with many community partners, locally, nationally and globally, and with knowledge institutions such as the ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ of Applied Sciences Utrecht and the EWUU alliance. We also encourage awareness in the broadest sense of the word, not only among our own students and staff, but also outside, among the general public.

Sustainability in education

Sustainability is increasingly making its presence felt in education, aligning with the education model that explicitly includes community engagement. The university is training a new generation: future leaders and drivers of the sustainable transitions that can contribute to a healthy, liveable planet for future generations. We offer several majors, minors and electives on sustainability and several degree programmes have structurally embedded the topic of planetary health in their course offerings. The aim is for every student to come into contact with the topic of sustainability during their studies.

Living labs

The campuses act as a living lab, a testing ground for sustainable development in which we unite research, education and business operations. We mobilise researchers, students, managers and community partners to experiment together and develop solutions to sustainability issues in co-creation. By this means, we provide students with learning experiences focused on solving real-world problems. They take the knowledge and experience they gain in this process with them when they become active in the community and society after graduation.

We mobilise researchers, students, managers and community partners to experiment together and develop solutions to sustainability issues in co-creation.

Green campus

In accordance with the motto ‘practise what you teach’, we also embed sustainability thinking in our own business operations. For example, sustainability plays an important role in the management of our campuses and buildings. We manage and maintain dozens of buildings on three campuses and are co-landowners of Utrecht Science Park where more than 30,000 people live, work and study every day. We are working towards a green, climate resilient campus by increasing the sustainability of our buildings and energy supply, greening our sites, restoring and enhancing local biodiversity, reducing waste and improving animal welfare. In doing so, we are investing in a green campus for students, university staff and others.

Climate neutral business operations

We will achieve climate-neutral, circular business operations (carbon neutral, natural gas free and zero waste) in the shortest possible time. However, we can't do that alone and we can't set the pace all by ourselves. We are making our buildings more sustainable, generating our own renewable energy and reducing our emissions through energy conservation.

With respect to our laboratories, we are pursuing LEAF certification. This international programme assesses laboratories on sustainability based on aspects such as energy efficiency, waste reduction and reuse of raw materials. A specific concern is the energy consumption for large-scale research data storage and AI, which is associated with a considerable environmental impact and high costs. We help researchers manage their data with the goal of not storing more data than necessary.

We encourage use of cycling, public transport and 'green mobility'. Our policy on long-distance travel also helps employees make astute considerations and choose the most sustainable option. We adhere to local, socially responsible purchasing and avoid wasting food, water and raw materials. We burn or dump waste as little as possible and reuse it wherever we can. In construction projects, we are economical with materials, for example by reusing materials and construction waste.

Monitor

We want to be able to monitor our progress. The European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) provides good guidance for this. While the university is not accountable to the CSRD, it is a helpful monitoring tool. We therefore take the CSRD guidelines as the basis for our sustainability strategy. In the coming period, we will mainly focus on the ecological domain.

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• Organisation