Recycling and responsible choices will strengthen SDU’s climate work

The climate work is anchored in SDU’s Climate Plan 2.0 towards 2030, which came into force in 2025 and runs until 2027. The Climate Plan sets the overall direction for the efforts in the coming years and supports the ambition to reduce the University’s overall climate footprint.

The Climate Plan and the three scopes

The initiatives in the Climate Plan are divided into scopes and follow an international standard for reporting greenhouse gas emissions. This provides an overview of where the emissions are coming from and where intervention is needed. At the same time, the standard enables SDU to compare its results with other universities and organisations.

Scope 1 includes direct emissions, such as fossil fuels from university vehicles. From 1 January, we will establish a new vehicle fleet for employees, and by 2027 almost 40 cars will be electric. The transition is expected to reduce the carbon footprint in Scope 1 by up to 90 per cent of the current emissions.

Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from energy consumption, including electricity, district heating and cooling. Here we are helped by the general societal transition to greener energy sources, and overall we expect a significant reduction in emissions in 2027 compared to 2018.

Scope 3 is the broadest category of emissions and covers activities beyond SDU’s direct control, such as procuring goods and services as well as air travel.

The goal of Climate Plan 2.0 is to completely avoid emissions of greenhouse gases in Scope 1 and Scope 2. In Scope 3, the targets are different, including a 57 per cent reduction in work-related trips and a 15 per cent reduction in the procurement of goods and services compared to 2018.

This is where we are still facing the biggest challenge.

Focus on procurement, consumption and behaviour

In 2018, SDU emitted 21,772 tonnes of greenhouse gases from the procurement of goods and services. By 2024, this figure had increased to 24,155 tonnes. The target for 2030 is an overall reduction of 15 per cent compared to 2018. This presupposes a decrease of almost 24 per cent from the 2024 level.

A special targeted effort is necessary and that is why procurement and consumption will have a special focus in 2026.

The initiatives in Scope 3 are aimed at reducing SDU’s greenhouse gas emissions through more sustainable procurement processes and changed behaviour. This means that we have to reduce our purchases of new items, extend the lifespan of our equipment and consider sustainability requirements in relation to procurement.

More recycling and repair

Recycling is also a key intervention area. We can recycle more than we do today. SDU already has a second-hand exchange where equipment, materials and furnishings are collected, and we encourage you to investigate the possibilities here before buying new items.

We need to repair more. For example, if an office chair is no longer functioning optimally, in many cases it may be sufficient to replace individual parts rather than discarding the chair and buying a new one.

During 2026, we will launch a number of initiatives and activities to promote climate-friendly behaviour in relation to goods and services at SDU. These include campaigns that encourage new ways of doing things and activities in relation to international climate and sustainability days to keep the initiatives in focus.

We will also continue our work to certify laboratories under My Green Lab. There is significant interest in this, and it is an important contribution to reducing the carbon footprint of laboratory operations.

At the beginning of 2026, new rules for business travel will be introduced. The rules are meant to emphasise that we expect SDU employees to make the most climate-friendly choices possible.

Follow the climate work at SDU

In 2025, we launched a new climate page where employees can follow SDU’s work with climate and sustainability, get an overview of ongoing initiatives and see how the overall efforts are developing. The website makes it easier to find knowledge and inspiration as well as contribute actively to our shared transition towards a more climate-friendly SDU.