The Umeå University Climate and Sustainability Action Plan contains two overarching goals and 13 strategic objectives to be achieved by 2030. This page presents the university’s progress towards each of these goals.
The university’s Sustainability Report provides an overview of how Umeå University contributes to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Agenda 2030. By highlighting education, research and collaboration, as well as the university’s other activities, with a focus on increased sustainability, the report provides an overview of how the university contributes or can contribute, as well as the challenges that exist. The examples mentioned under each goal represent only a small selection of all our activities.
To enable the university to progressively contribute to society’s climate targets, the university has commissioned a carbon budget. The carbon budget covers greenhouse gas emissions from external purchases of goods and services, purchased capital goods, business travel, as well as emissions from waste management, energy use and rented premises. The base year for the carbon budget is 2019. From 2022, i.e. after the pandemic, the university needs to reduce its carbon emissions by 19 percent per year compared with the previous year until 2045 in order to align with society’s climate targets. The carbon budget is monitored through annual climate accounts.
The 2019 Environmental Expenditure Analysis shows that the university’s total carbon emissions amounted to 24,710 tonnes of CO2e within Scopes 1, 2 and 3, of which 1,122 tonnes of CO2e were within Scopes 1 and 2, and 23,588 tonnes of CO2e within Scope 3.
The 2022 Climate Accounts show that the university’s activities emitted slightly more than the carbon budget of 24,710 tonnes of CO2e. In 2022, emissions amounted to 24,832 tonnes of CO2e, of which Scope 1 accounted for 49 tonnes; Scope 2 for 1,614 tonnes; and Scope 3 for 23,169 tonnes of CO2e.
The 2023 Climate Accounts show that the university exceeded its carbon budget, which was 20,015 tonnes of CO2e, and emitted 24,075 tonnes of CO2e, of which Scope 1 accounted for 44 tonnes; Scope 2 for 1,673 tonnes; and Scope 3 for 22,358 tonnes of CO2e.
The 2024 Climate Accounts show that the university exceeded its carbon budget, which was 16,212 tonnes of CO2e, and emitted 19,739 tonnes of CO2e, of which Scope 1 accounted for 47 tonnes; Scope 2 for 2,003 tonnes; and Scope 3 for 17,688 tonnes of CO2e.
The 2025 Climate Accounts show that the university exceeded its carbon budget, which was 13,132 tonnes of CO2e, and emitted 17,917 tonnes of CO2e, of which Scope 1 accounted for 52 tonnes; Scope 2 for 2,096 tonnes; and Scope 3 for 15,769 tonnes of CO2e.
Sustainable development is an overarching perspective in the university’s quality system for education. In practice, this means that active efforts should be made to integrate such aspects into all degree programmes and to follow up on the results of these efforts. The faculties’ education coordinators have classified their respective programmes based on whether sustainable development is an overarching perspective in the degree programme in accordance with the quality system for education.
This is how we are progressing:
2018: 107 of 139 (77%) programmes had sustainable development as a focus or included it in their degree objectives.
2020: 113 of 145 (78%) programmes had sustainable development as a focus or included it in their degree objectives.
2021: 130 of 165 (79%) programmes had sustainable development as a focus or included it in their degree objectives.
2022: 138 of 162 (85%) programmes assessed sustainable development as an overarching perspective.
2023: 134 of 160 (84%) programmes assessed sustainable development as an overarching perspective.
2024: 146 of 160 (91%) programmes assessed sustainable development as an overarching perspective.
2025: 155 of 161 (96%) programmes assessed sustainable development as an overarching perspective.
Students’ experiences, views and engagement are important resources for the university in developing our activities. This also applies, of course, to our work on climate and sustainability issues.
For Goal 2, we have chosen the indicator “Number of projects involving student collaboration.” During 2025, students were involved in several sustainability projects. For example, a number of student projects related to a sustainable and healthy campus are being carried out within Environmental Science and Health Psychology. One of the student ideas that was implemented in 2025 was the “bicycle workshop” organised during the Health on Campus Day in September.
The university’s research on sustainable development shall increase. For Goal 3, we have chosen to use an indicator reporting Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) for scientific publications. During the period 2020–2025, Umeå University’s highest FWCI values were 5.7, while the lowest was just above 1.0. Below are the five SDGs for which the university has the highest FWCI:
SDG 2 – Zero Hunger: 5.7
SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation: 5.7
SDG 5 – Gender Equality: 4.2
SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being: 3.0
SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: 2.7
For Goal 4, we have chosen the indicator “Completed collaboration projects.”
Here are some of the projects carried out in recent years:
2019: Smart services for the management of old buildings using the Internet of Things
2020: Sharing City Umeå – sharing green spaces through the sharing economy
2021: Climate-Neutral Umeå 2030 – a collaborative project involving, among others, Umeå Municipality and Umeå Energi
2022: RUGGEDISED – research and innovation at three European higher education institutions developing smart technology that reduces climate impact
2023, 2024 and 2025: Climate-Neutral Umeå 2.0, the Higher Education Institutions’ Climate Network, Social Innovation in Northern Sweden, Eco Industrial Park, Urban Transition Lab
In 2025, environmental requirements were included in a large proportion of procurements and call-offs, corresponding to as much as 88 percent of the monetary value of procurements and call-offs. However, there is potential to further systematise environmental considerations in the university’s procurement and purchasing, as well as to increase consideration of social and labour-law conditions.
To monitor the goal, the indicator “Share of procurements in which environmental requirements have been imposed” is used:
2018: 19%
2019: 24%
2020: 51%
2021: 47%
2022: 48%
2023: 62%
2024: 95%
2025: 97%
The university has several restaurant, café and catering operations. They are partly providers of services procured by the university and partly offer their services to, among others, university staff and students. The university can contribute to reducing the environmental impact of food and catering by imposing environmental requirements on procured suppliers or through dialogue with companies about sustainable and climate-smart choices of food, equipment and products.
Today, waste-sorting containers were installed adjacent to all restaurants and cafés, enabling waste, including food waste, to be sorted at source. All food and catering operators at the university offer vegetarian options, and one of them also has a clear focus on a healthy balance.
For this goal, we have established the indicator “Environmental and sustainability requirements are imposed when capital is invested.”
Since 2021, the university’s investment policy and the ownership directive for its holding company have included requirements concerning fossil-free investments and social sustainability.
At present, the university leases approximately 320,000 m² of premises. In 2025, approximately 38 GWh of energy was used at Umeå Campus, Umeå Arts Campus, Kunskapens hus and in Norrbyn, which represents the vast majority of the university’s leased premises. This corresponds to the energy use of more than 1,500 detached houses.
As indicators for this goal, we have established “Total number of kWh consumed” and “Number of kWh/m².” The figures for 2018–2022 apply only to the main campus, while the figures from 2023 include the main campus, the Arts Campus and Kunskapens hus. From 2024, the premises included in the figures have increased and, among other things, also include our premises in Norrbyn.
This is how we are progressing:
2018: approximately 33 GWh, 171 kWh/m²
2019: approximately 31 GWh, 160 kWh/m²
2020: approximately 28 GWh, 144 kWh/m²
2021: approximately 28 GWh, 144 kWh/m²
2022: approximately 28 GWh, 144 kWh/m²
2023: approximately 35.5 GWh, 157 kWh/m²
2024: approximately 43.8 GWh, 146 kWh/m²
2025: approximately 38 GWh, 119 kWh/m²
In recent years, more of the university’s premises have been included in the compilation, which means that the data is not comparable between earlier and later years.
Since 2022, we have also monitored water consumption.
2022: 57,888 m³ of water was used at Umeå Campus and 438 m³ at the premises in Norrbyn.
2023: 60,255 m³ of water was used at Umeå Campus and 518 m³ at the premises in Norrbyn.
2024: 57,561 m³ of water was used at Umeå Campus, Umeå Arts Campus, Kunskapens hus and at the premises in Norrbyn.
2025: 58,889 m³ of water was used at Umeå Campus
Both the construction of new premises and the operation of existing premises have negative environmental and climate impacts. We can reduce these negative effects by, for example, sharing premises with more stakeholders and making greater use of the premises we lease.
Average use of offices, daytime 08:00–17:00, weekdays:
2019: 21%
2020: 18%
2021: 20%
2022: 29%
2023: 32%
2024: 33%
2025: 36%
Average use of lecture rooms (planned and spontaneous use), daytime 08:00–17:00, weekdays:
2019: 30%
2020: 15%
2021: 26%
2022: 37%
2023: 42%
2024: 44%
2025: 44%
Average use of group rooms (planned and spontaneous use), daytime 08:00–17:00, weekdays:
2019: 63%
2020: 44%
2021: 43%
2022: 49%
2023: 50%
2024: 50%
2025: 50%
The main campus in Umeå consists of large green areas. By managing and developing these areas, they function as so-called carbon sinks, which capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This also benefits biodiversity. To preserve or increase biodiversity, for example, native species need to be prioritised and invasive species controlled.
As an indicator for the goal, we have chosen “Completed activities for biodiversity.”Here are some examples, which you can read more about further down the page:
2020: Campus Apiary established
2021: Reuse of plants and a new meadow area
2022: The Campus Arboretum collaboration project inaugurated; fish inventory in the campus pond; removal of invasive species on the main campus
2023: Action plan developed to increase biodiversity. Removal of invasive species. Expanded meadow area. More bird and bat nesting boxes.
2024: Student collaboration to improve the ecological and chemical status of the campus pond. Nesting boxes for common swifts.
2025: Investigation into a kitchen garden, nature-value inventory, expanded meadow area.
Goal 11. The climate impact of travel shall decrease without negatively affecting the possibility of a sustainable study and working environment
As indicators for this goal, we have chosen “CO2 equivalents from business travel,” “CO2 equivalents per full-time equivalent employee,” and “Number of flights.” This is how we are progressing:
2019: 4,107 tonnes of CO2 in total, 1,164 kg CO2/full-time equivalent, 33,000 flights
2020: 620 tonnes of CO2 in total, 172 kg CO2/full-time equivalent
2021: 389 tonnes of CO2 in total, 104 kg CO2/full-time equivalent
2022: 4,475 tonnes of CO2 in total, 1,167 kg CO2/full-time equivalent, 19,500 flights
2023: 3,771 tonnes of CO2e in total; 961 kg CO2e/full-time equivalent, 19,500 flights
2024: 4,823 tonnes of CO2e in total, 1,190 kg CO2e/full-time equivalent, 20,000 flights
2025: 4,328 tonnes of CO2e in total, 1,093 kg CO2e/full-time equivalent, 21,000 flights
Goal 12. The use of digital meeting technologies that replace business travel shall increase
For this goal, we have established the indicator “Number of meeting hours conducted digitally.”
2018: 155,000 hours
2021: 5,000,000 hours
2022: 2,900,000 hours, 510,000 meetings
2023: 1,770,000 hours, 329,000 meetings
2024: 1,653,000 hours, 325,000 meetings
2025: 1,596,000 hours, 337,000 meetings
For this goal, we have chosen the indicator “Share of recycled, incinerated and hazardous waste.”
This is how we are progressing:
2019: A total of 440 tonnes of waste was generated, excluding construction and demolition waste. 45% was recycled, 53% was recovered for energy, and approximately 2% constituted hazardous waste. 0.06% of the waste was sent to landfill.
2021: A total of 290 tonnes of waste was generated, excluding construction and demolition waste. 46% was recycled, 50% was recovered for energy, and approximately 4% constituted hazardous waste. 0.03% of the waste was sent to landfill.
2022: A total of 360 tonnes of waste was generated, excluding construction and demolition waste. 49% was recycled, 49% was recovered for energy, and approximately 2% constituted hazardous waste. 0.1% of the waste was sent to landfill.
2023: A total of 303 tonnes of waste was generated, excluding construction and demolition waste. 50% was recycled, 46% was recovered for energy, and approximately 3% constituted hazardous waste. 1% of the waste was sent to landfill.
2024: Reporting included more information than in previous years. A total of 460 tonnes of waste was generated, excluding construction and demolition waste. 30% was recycled, 63% was recovered for energy, and 3% constituted hazardous waste. 3% of the waste was bio-waste and 1% was sent to landfill.
2025: A total of 493 tonnes of waste was generated, excluding construction and demolition waste. Just under 40% was recycled, 47% was recovered for energy, and 4% constituted hazardous waste. 9% of the waste was bio-waste and 0.1% was sent to landfill.