This is how we work with sustainability

Our policy for sustainable development formulates overarching goals for sustainable development and the strategy for sustainable development identifies nine objectives. Particularly prioritized areas where the university has long-term sustainability goals are climate adaption and gender equality.

Policy for sustainable development

• offer a high-quality education that, grounded in scientific method, develops students’ ability to contribute to sustainable development.  
  
  
• conduct research of the highest scientific quality that is carried out in a sustainable manner and contributes to identifying, increasing knowledge of, and solving social challenges globally.
  
  
• encourage and provide employees and students with the resources for working toward sustainable development.
  
  
• collaborate with partners who are working toward sustainable development and initiate collaboration in this area.
  
  
• integrate social, ecological, and economic sustainability into the university’s support processes as well as the physical premises.

Here you can read the policy in its entirety. 

STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The goals in the strategy are mostly overall and long-term, and set a direction for University West´s continued work. The strategy is built around nine objectives.

Objective 1: Education about and for sustainable development 
Objective 2: Research on and for sustainable development 
Objective 3: Sustainable development through work-integrated learning and collaboration 
Objective 4: Sustainable travel 
Objective 5: Sustainable consumption and the handling of resources 
Objective 6: Circular material flow and safe waste disposal 
Objective 7: Climate neutral and efficient energy consumption 
Objective 8: A sustainable work and study environment on equal terms 
Objective 9: Appropriate management systems for sustainable development

Prioritized areas:

Climate adaption 
Gender equality 

PLANNING AND FOLLOW-UP OF SUSTAINABILITY WORK

Based on the goals in the strategy for sustainable development, priorities are made in the overall business plan and the work units make their own priorities that form the basis for local goals in the business plan with the associated action plan.

The basis for priorities is partly the possibility of influencing the fulfillment of goals, and partly an analysis of strengths and areas for improvement. For certain target areas, there are time-bound quantitative targets, preferably for the university's environmental and climate impact from its own activities (eg for sustainable travel, sustainable consumption and energy use).