Sustainability results 2025

Since the university signed the Climate Framework and introduced a climate budget in 2021, responsibility for deciding on and implementing appropriate measures rests with each faculty, the University Library and the Central University Administration. Active work is underway across all operations, but there is still a long way to go for the university to reach the target of halving emissions by 2030. To achieve further reductions, more forceful measures are required.

In the spring, the Vice-Chancellor therefore adopted a roadmap for climate work to clarify the university’s priorities and ambitions for the period 2025–2027. The roadmap highlights priorities for joint action in four areas:

• Procurement and purchasing of goods
• Energy use, premises and new construction and refurbishment
• Business travel
• Monitoring of climate footprint

Responsibility for the activities in the roadmap has been clarified and work has begun. One of the priority areas is to develop appropriate and quality-assured methods for monitoring whether the university is achieving its climate footprint targets. To explore available climate calculation systems and services, a market analysis has been conducted. The results will form the basis for requirements in a forthcoming procurement.

The university collaborates nationally within the framework of the Climate Framework. The network of universities' climate network has been established to strengthen cooperation, learning, and exchange within the climate area, with a particular focus on influencing the entire higher education sector. 

The University of Gothenburg leads the focus group on business travel, which works to improve and standardise measurement methods for the sector. The group also develops research-based recommendations and guidelines to enable real change that can be implemented by the majority of higher education institutions.

The Faculty of science and technology allocated SEK 500,000 in 2025 for projects that deliver direct reductions in carbon emissions. The funds were distributed proportionally among departments to support long-distance train travel and thereby reduce emissions from air travel.

At the University of Gothenburg, sustainability perspectives are generally well integrated into programmes and sustainability awareness is high. To strengthen education for sustainable development, several discussion forums have been held with university teachers, each focusing on a specific theme—for example, the role of teachers in making course syllabi more sustainability-oriented and how the global sustainability goals can be integrated into courses.

More targeted discussions have also been held with faculties and within the Network for Directors of Studies. The interdisciplinary, cross-faculty network for sustainable development in education has continued to meet regularly on current themes.

During the year, the University of Gothenburg Sustainability Thesis Award (GUSTA) recognised five outstanding student theses in sustainable development. The award winners are selected by a committee comprising professors from all faculties. This year’s theses covered topics ranging from how solutions-oriented journalism can contribute to addressing the global environmental crisis and strengthening public dialogue in Sweden, to how education for sustainable development can be linked to peace-building pedagogy.

The Handels Impact Innovation Cup competition stimulates entrepreneurship and sustainability engagement among students. Inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, students are challenged to develop business ideas into solutions that make a difference. Students compete in four categories: Environmental, Social, Governance and Project.

Each category winner receives a prize of SEK 50,000. Providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to take responsibility and contribute to sustainable societal development is part of the School of Business, Economics and Law’s strategy. Since 2013, sustainability has been integrated into all programmes through course components and mandatory sustainability days.

Handels Impact Innovation Challenge | Handelshögskolan, Göteborgs universitet 

In this year’s QS Sustainability Rankings, the University of Gothenburg remains highly placed at number 50 globally. The ranking is based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and includes nearly 80 indicators measuring different aspects of sustainability. The university stands out particularly in environmental research, ranking fourth in the world.

During its second year of operation, Wexsus (West Sweden Nexus for Sustainable Development) has contributed to the university’s sustainability work by strengthening links between research, education and societal actors at local, regional and international levels. A bibliometric analysis carried out during the year highlights the strong sustainability research of West Swedish higher education institutions, particularly the University of Gothenburg, providing a strategic basis for continued profiling.

Wexsus has also continued to develop the thesis cluster model, enabling students to work with complex transition challenges in interdisciplinary settings. Regional relations have been further strengthened through the Gothenburg Region becoming an associated partner. Wexsus has contributed to the university’s role in societal dialogue through participation in Frihamnsdagarna, interdisciplinary research dialogues on student completion, collaboration with the Västra Götaland Region, and by initiating discussions on adopting the Norwegian model of university municipalities.

In 2025, Wexsus participated in an EU application for an international graduate school, and two applications for new policy labs on sustainable land use were approved.

• WEXSUS: a new collaboration arena for sustainability

During the year, the University of Gothenburg strengthened its role as a knowledge hub for biodiversity through several initiatives and collaborations. Through the School of Business, Economics and Law and the Gothenburg Centre for Global Biodiversity Studies, the university has been a driving force in the Biodiversity Pact, where actors from business and the public sector set measurable targets to promote ecosystem services and strengthen biodiversity in the Gothenburg region.

The university also hosted the Swedish Biodiversity Symposium, a new national conference bringing together researchers, policymakers and business representatives to translate knowledge into action. Through the SamBio project, the university organised training courses, workshops and industry days, including at the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, where companies experienced marine biodiversity and discussed sustainable solutions.

As a result of previous fully sustainable procurements, the share of sustainable products purchased has increased in several areas:

• Catering: 70 per cent of products purchased were EU organic, KRAV- or MSC-certified in 2025 (37 per cent in 2023).
• Monitors: The share of TCO Certified monitors increased to 97 per cent (from 78 per cent in 2023).
• Office supplies: Environmentally labelled products increased to 24 per cent (from 13 per cent in 2023), partly due to improved product display in supplier catalogues.

Within the sustainability partnership between the University of Gothenburg and Akademiska Hus, an open workshop was held in the spring. Proposed activities were compiled and prioritised, resulting in a joint action plan for 2025–2026 covering areas from improved outdoor environments to information initiatives such as sustainability days and energy-saving campaigns.

The university has implemented a four-step model for sustainability in local projects. The model serves as a basis for dialogue within the organization and is based on a report on the climate impact of premises created by SUHF. The four-step model involves first examining whether space needs can be reduced or intensified before a renovation or new construction becomes relevant. Guidelines for sustainable development in the premises supply process were also developed during the year.

The university has conducted a pilot project to develop an internal reuse service for furniture. The service will be launched in January 2026 and will contribute to reduced climate impact, financial sustainability and smarter logistics. It also supports the 2025–2027 roadmap goal of increasing circular flows of furniture and services.

Initially, the service will handle loose furniture and furnishings, with plans to expand to include AV and IT equipment. It will be available to all university operations and supported by both a digital marketplace and a physical reuse hub.

To raise awareness of the university’s systematic sustainability efforts, several films have been produced as internal support material. These films illustrate different aspects of sustainability work and can be used for onboarding new employees or in preparation for environmental audits. A separate film has been created as an introduction to managers' responsibilities in sustainability efforts. Additionally, in-person leadership training is offered multiple times a year. Competence development has also included open forums for university faculty, presentations on the university’s climate work, training for environmental auditors, and training for procurement staff, all arranged by the Sustainability Section during the year.