Environmental Policy for Linköping University
Linköping University (LiU), as an educational institution, has a responsibility to contribute to economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable development. This policy applies to the environmental dimension of sustainable development.
Environmental Considerations in Relevant Processes
LiU's environmental policy should permeate all activities, meaning that activities should be conducted with environmental considerations in relevant processes. LiU should comply with applicable binding requirements and other environmental standards while working towards continuously improving environmental performance.
LiU should actively work to reduce its own environmental impact, providing all employees with the opportunity to contribute to collective environmental efforts.
Environmental Concerns in Education, Research, and Collaboration
Through education of students and research activities, LiU has significant potential to contribute to long-term sustainable development. Students at LiU should be provided with opportunities and encouraged to acquire sufficient knowledge to contribute to sustainable development and a healthy environment, both during and after their studies at LiU. To ensure that LiU contributes to society with strong environmental expertise, environmental-related research should be conducted, and other research should be encouraged to embrace sustainable development. Likewise, LiU should contribute to the development of knowledge about environmental issues through collaboration with the business sector, the public sector, non-profit organizations, and the public.
Systematic Efforts to Reduce Environmental Impact
Environmental impact should be reduced based on what is technically feasible, economically reasonable, and environmentally justified. Improvement of the university's environmental performance should occur through systematic work according to an environmental management system designed to increase knowledge and capacity for sustainable development, limit climate impact, use natural resources more efficiently, and minimize the spread of harmful and infectious substances from the activities. Environmental adaptation should be carried out from a life-cycle perspective and include minimization of waste generation and emissions, resource, and energy efficiency, as well as environmental requirements in procurement and in the planning of renovations or new construction for LiU's operations.
Environmental objectives, 2025-2027
The environmental objectives take into account the national environmental quality objectives, the Higher Education Ordinance, the ordinance on environmental management systems in government agencies and the ISO 14001:2015 environmental management systems standard. The environmental objectives are grouped into four areas:
- Increase knowledge and capacity for sustainable development (environmental objectives 1 and 2)
- Limit impact on the climate (environmental objectives 3)
- Use natural resources more efficiently through sustainable material flows (environmental objective 4, 5 and 6)
- Minimize the spread of harmful and infectious substances from the activities (no goals are set for this target area)
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Work on meeting the environmental objectives is carried out through environmental action plans that specify measures, responsibilities and timetables. Work on the measures in the action plan is followed up annually.
Environmental objective 1
All co-workers and students at LiU will have the knowledge, skills and attitudes that contribute to the transition to a sustainable society.
Environmental objective 2
Research, collaboration and utilisation at LiU will have a prominent role in the transition to a sustainable society.
Environmental objective 3
By 2027, LiU’s total climate impact (CO2e) is to be reduced by 25% from the level in 2019.
Environmental objective 4
Sustainability or environmental requirements must be set in at least 50% of all relevant procurements at LiU with a contract value above 150 TSEK.
Environmental objective 5
The proportion of residual waste from LiU will be reduced by 15% by the end of 2027 compared to 2019.
Environmental objective 6
For redevelopment and new construction at LiU’s premises, aspects such as service life, operation and maintenance will characterise the choice of materials and how premises are built.
Follow-up on environmental goals 2022–2024
The environmental goals for 2022–2024 have been monitored and final reports submitted. Several of the goals and associated measures have been successfully implemented with good results, while others could not be completed as planned or did not achieve the expected outcomes. For example, we succeeded in reducing energy consumption by 10%, but did not manage to reduce the climate impact from air travel by 30% compared to 2019. This target remains in place for the current goal period and will continue to be addressed.
Good examples from LiU’s environmental commitment:
- Digital environmental and sustainability training is provided for all employees.
- Collaboration takes place between LiU's laboratory departments to identify and share good examples and working methods to reduce climate impact and minimize the risk of spreading hazardous substances from the activities.
- A cross-functional working group for sustainable internationalization has been formed with the aim of promoting internationalization while contributing to reduced climate impact from air travel.
- Energy saving measures are continuously implemented in cooperation with property owners.
- The carbon offsetting fund. For all travel by air, LiU allocates funds that are distributed to various.
initiatives to reduce the energy consumption or other environmental impact of the university.
- Ã…terbruket. This activity acts to bring a lot of unused furniture to new users.
- Green sections – a diploma system for student sections that adapt their operations in an eco-friendly manner.
- The digital and physical environmental exhibition Walk the Talk at Campus Valla and Campus Norrköping.
