One of the basic conditions for participating in the campaign is to diagnose the situation in the entities involved and, on the basis of this diagnosis, develop a plan of action. UPWr published such a plan in early autumn 2023. The action plans at UPWr include installing charging stations for electric vehicles powered by renewable energy on university premises, reducing business trips in favour of online meetings or upgrading the university’s transport base to environmentally friendly vehicles. The authorities also plan to review all university facilities with a view to conserving electricity and preventing heat loss.
The objectives of the EU GREEN Alliance and Race to Zero are related. Both the campaign and the alliance focus on actions related to sustainable development and the implementation of the SDGs, while Race to Zero necessarily focuses on energy efficiency, thus also on sustainable transport (bicycles, public transport, railways) and reducing environmental costs of labour. Many similarities can therefore be found in particular in goals WP4 – Innovation and entrepreneurship for sustainability, WP5 – Engagement for sustainable societies and economies, WP6 – Fostering mobility and international collaboration in education on sustainability, and especially WP8 – Building a truly sustainable campus. The adopted action plan also enshrines points such as rationalising purchasing, maintaining a system of internal information on redundant equipment and supplies, including chemicals – giving the opportunity to share or redeploy them to units where they are currently needed, without the need for additional purchases.
The Race to Zero for Universities and Colleges campaign, like the EU GREEN alliance, follows the Paris Agreement and is implemented in cooperation with the EAUC (the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education), Second Nature and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
More info here.
Photo of wind turbines from unsplash,
Photo of bicycle racks at UPWr taken by Martyna Kostrzycka,
Logo of Race to Zero.
