UNITED KINGDOM
In their efforts to shoulder their responsibilities to the planet, how do universities preserve the spirit of global connectedness that is so important to research and learning in the modern world?
At Lancaster University sustainability is at the heart of what we do. Our wind turbine generates 14% of the university’s electricity each year, our campus has received a green flag award for 10 years in a row and we offer incentives to support our staff to travel sustainably and affordably .
We are ranked seventh in the United Kingdom and joint 26th in the world in the new QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, which measures and compares the sustainable impact from universities around the world.
However, we know there is more that can be done.
In 2020, we declared a climate emergency with the goal of becoming carbon neutral in key areas by 2035 and this commitment is at the core of the university’s new strategic plan, which outlines sustainable change we are committed to making in response to an increasingly resource-constrained environment. world.
We have made strong progress and are now one of the highest producers of renewable energy of all UK universities, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
We are not alone. Universities around the world are taking their commitment to the planet seriously and putting that commitment into strategy and action.
Across the sector, while we’re seeing bold commitments to reducing scope 1 emissions, direct emissions like fuel, and scope 2 emissions, indirect emissions from purchased energy like electricity, we’re seeing more tentative steps around scope 3 emissions, indirect emissions such as travel and purchased products and services. Why is this?
In a recent report from Universities UK International, Abigail Whiteley reports positive developments around the climate crisis in the higher education sector, namely:
• Between 2021 and 2022, the proportion of our member universities committed to net zero targets under scopes 1 and 2 increased from 61% to 75%.
• Between 2021 and 2022, the proportion of our member universities committed to net zero targets under scope 3 increased from 53% to 59%.
• Between 2021 and 2022, the proportion of our member universities committed to a reduction in scope 3 emissions increased from 5% to 6%.
The problem of travel
So, what do these numbers tell us? In the case of scopes 1 and 2 there is, of course, greater ownership of direct carbon emissions, which are more amenable to technical and engineering solutions.
Scope 3 is more about influencing suppliers and changing attitudes. No better example of this complex challenge is the carbon emissions associated with travel that constitute a significant part of the carbon economy of universities.
A recent analysis of NATURE illustrates the contradiction between the mission of universities to educate and exchange knowledge (including about sustainability) and the related impact on the planet by pointing to the impact of the recent conference of the American Geophysical Union – the largest -the world conference on Earth- and space-science : “We calculate that its 28,000 delegates traveled 285 million kilometers there and back – almost twice the distance between the Earth and the Sun. In doing so, they release the equivalent of about 80,000 tons of CO2 (tCO2e). This is about three tonnes per scientist, or the average weekly emissions of the city of Edinburgh.”
So, what can we do about it?
Interestingly, for the European counterpart of this meeting – the annual General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), which attracts a significant 15,000 delegates to Vienna every spring – there is a growing shift to travel above and beyond of more expensive carbon. air travel. It even has its own #TraintoEGU social media hashtag.
Similarly, for the international collaboration of ~500 people working on an experiment located in Japan, collaboration meetings are based in two hubs: Tokai Japan and CERN Geneva. The joint meetings were in the (European) morning with the two hubs connected via Zoom; more specialized meetings in the (European) afternoon or in the (Japanese) morning and adapted to relate to those of a particular continent.
This is just one model that can potentially help reduce flights and therefore carbon emissions and, to encourage this approach, Lancaster University has launched a new Travel Decision Tree, designed by the Lancaster Environment Center to question the need for travel and encouraging digital alternatives to increase sustainable travel choices when international mobility is required.
Student mobility
But staff travel is only part of the challenge when we think about international student mobility, which is probably why many universities are hesitant about setting targets for scope 3.
This is where transnational education can play an important role in providing options for international students.
Lancaster is a global university with a network of overseas campuses in China, Germany, Ghana and Malaysia, offering validated Lancaster degrees. Our campuses are an important part of our global community, with one-third of our undergraduate students studying abroad and a strong mobility program that equips our graduates to become true global citizens.
We are now looking to extend this global Lancaster offer to Indonesia, offering the opportunity to access our degree programs without having to travel around the world.
As we build new connections between our individual campuses over time, pandemic travel restrictions and climate concerns have become two major accelerators of digital connectivity, which is now a central element of our efforts to manage the range of 3 travel vis-à-vis. our new sustainable travel guide.
Since early 2020, we have built a range of bespoke digital platforms that enable our students to experience the benefits of internationalization without having to travel.
Innovations include:
• Annual Undergraduate Research Conference: a dedicated online forum that takes place every March and brings together students and staff from all strategic partners.
• [email protected] University: a week-long, hybrid festival with 39 events, including a student-led webinar contributed by over 100 staff and students based in China, Germany, Ghana and Malaysia.
• Future Leader Experience and Global Leadership Forum (co-host): two suites of development programs designed for students from home and abroad campuses, providing opportunities for them to develop leadership skills and interact with senior leaders from different industries.
• Digital Classrooms: a cross-campus teaching initiative that focuses on issues of global relevance and distinctive locality, in the development of staff from global campuses.
To support these initiatives, we have deployed comprehensive online training materials, entitled ‘Embrace Digital’, ensuring that the project is inclusive and supports our staff and students in our global locations.
While not carbon neutral, this digital connectivity can lower the carbon intensity of international events, increase accessibility for attendees, as well as provide a new model that transforms global engagement.
Our sector, like many others, faces an existential challenge to respond to the climate emergency, but by sharing solutions in the spirit of open learning and collaboration – where universities are particularly good – we can lead the answer.
Professor Simon Guy is pro-vice-chancellor global (digital, international, sustainability) in the office of the vice-chancellor at Lancaster University, United Kingdom. He recently spoke on this topic at the recent Going Global Asia Pacific conference.
