2050Today Members
UNIGE – University of Geneva
Signatory institution of the 2050Today Charter
Contribution to climate action
Sustainability is at the heart of the values of the University of Geneva, which develops sustainability ambitions in the fields of research, teaching, and operations. Sustainability is set as a strategic objective in the Objectives Convention signed with the Canton of Geneva.
Located in the heart of International Geneva and thus benefiting from privileged access to this ecosystem, UNIGE has chosen to anchor its action within the framework of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The SDG office ensures the sustainability strategy of UNIGE and facilitates the involvement of various services, centers, and faculties. It initiates and coordinates numerous projects as a central entity.
Thematic actions
Biodiversity
UNIGE is located in the city center and does not have large quantities of outdoor green spaces. However, UNIGE wishes to initiate a reflection on its capacity to act, directly and indirectly, in favor of biodiversity and its preservation. UNIGE is committed to:
- Reasoned maintenance of green spaces
- Projects promoting biodiversity (beehives, bat nesting boxes, urban gardens)
- Collaborations with the canton and the city
UNIGE is a signatory member of the Nature Positive Universities initiative.
Energy
The buildings used by the University, mainly owned by the State of Geneva, are a major source of emissions. District heating mainly concerns the Sciences site, it is still currently powered by a fossil source but will switch to renewable sources in the coming years.
Food
UNIGE is determined to act in the sector of food, developing a policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote biodiversity, improve health, and reduce inequalities. UNIGE and its restaurants are committed to:
- Priority to seasonal, sustainable, local food
- Reduced consumption of meat
- One vegetarian day per week in all UNIGE restaurants
- A cafeteria that is 100% vegetarian
- Meals at 5 CHF for students
Mobility
In a social and environmental approach, in particular to reduce the carbon footprint linked to professional travel, UNIGE is committed to promoting soft and active mobility among its employees. To this end, it takes institutional, strategic and logistical measures aimed at encouraging the transfer to more sustainable modes of transport, promoting active mobility and encouraging physical activity for a healthy lifestyle.
In this context, UNIGE is implementing a mobility plan which includes several components:
- Participation in public transport subscriptions for employees
- Ban on flights for destinations reachable in 4 hours by train
- Provision of a self-service cargo bike
- Special rates for the Mobility subscription
- Increase in parking availability and bicycle infrastructure
- Development of a teleworking policy
All these measures are accompanied by the development of a mobility strategy including the monitoring of different indicators.
Additionally, UNIGE has obtained the ecomobile label, rewarding its efforts in the field of sustainable and soft mobility.
Sustainable IT
Work on digital sobriety, in particular on the circularity of equipment, is already underway, notably with the signing by UNIGE in 2023 of the “Responsible IT Charter” and the opening of the Repair’Lab, a space at the heart of the School of Physics, dedicated to repairing electronic and computer equipment, and enabling staff and students of the University of Geneva to make a diagnosis on a defective device, to have it repaired or to learn to repair it themselves in a friendly space.
Waste management
UNIGE endeavors to reduce waste and improve sorting. The institution is implementing several measures:
- Participatory contribution
- Awareness and communication
- Training
Footprint and emissions by scope
This carbon footprint takes into account the reported emissions generated by the activities of the institution over one year and was established according to international standards by Climate Services. Mobility takes into consideration business travels and commuting (on a survey basis). The CO2 impact of food includes the catering of the institution and individual consumption (on a survey basis) during working hours. Nevertheless the collected data of the 2050Today members resulting in each carbon footprint are not yet fully standardized nor entirely complete. Data collection is being progressively harmonized and improved. Therefore direct comparisons between tCO2 / employee among institutions – be it in general or per sector – are not yet possible nor relevant.
According to ISO 14064, the distribution of emissions is done by scopes.
Scope 1 represents direct emissions linked to the consumption of fossil fuels.
Scope 2 represents indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling consumed by the reporting company
Scope 3 includes all other indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain (i.e. purchased good or services, business travel, employee commuting).
UNIGE specifics
In addition to the 2050Today reporting Footprint, the UNIGE reports data on capital investments. These emissions values are included in the category Consumables.
The publication of the carbon footprint for 2021 and 2022 is currently being updated.
The weight of this CO2 footprint
If we were to give a concrete weight to this carbon footprint, it would represent the weight of the following number of elephants :
(average weight per elephant : 5’000 kilos)
8 190 Elephants
The rate at which nature can absorb this amount of CO2
This amount of CO2 was emitted in one year. How many century-old cedars does it take to absorb this carbon footprint in the same amount of time ?
(a 100 year old cedar absorbs on average 25 kg of CO2 per year)
