Follow-up on KI’s Environmental and Climate Goals 2021–2024
In KI’s Climate Strategy 2030, goals were formulated for KI’s work on environment, climate, and sustainable development up to the year 2030. An action plan for environment and climate 2021–2024 was developed, including interim goals to be achieved by 2024, as well as measures to reach those goals. Here is a summary follow-up of these interim goals within each operational area.
Education at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels
In the field of education, KI aimed to ensure that by 2024 all educational programmes would include learning objectives guaranteeing that students, upon graduation, possess knowledge and skills related to climate change and health, as part of teaching on sustainable development. This goal also included doctoral education.
A follow-up conducted in February 2025 showed that 31 out of 33 undergraduate and advanced level programs have learning objectives related to sustainable development. However, only 14 out of 33 programs included learning objectives ensuring students gain knowledge and skills about climate change in relation to health, meaning the goal was not achieved. In doctoral education, a module on sustainable development has been introduced in the mandatory introduction for doctoral students.
Research
One of the goals for 2024 was to increase research in the areas of climate change and health, sustainable healthcare, and behavioral science and prevention of climate-related ill health . This has not been possible to measure or follow up. Another goal was to establish one or more positions as professor, lecturer, assistant lecturer, or postdoc in these research areas. It is noted that there has been no central initiatives to establish such positions.
Collaboration for utilisation
By 2024, KI had four goals related to collaboration. KI has actively worked towards the goal of playing an even more significant role in the university sector’s climate efforts. Over the past three years, KI has been part of the host constellation in the universities’ climate network and focus group work. KI has also established a collaboration on sustainability issues with Stockholm University and KTH within the University Alliance Stockholm Trio.
Meetings and travel
The goal for 2024 was to reduce carbon emissions from business travel by 40 percent compared to 2015, calculated per full-time equivalent. The overall follow-up of business travel by car, train, bus, and air shows that emissions have decreased by over 60 percent, meaning the goal has been achieved.
Energy and buildings
The goals for 2024 were to reduce carbon emissions from KI’s energy use by 50 percent per square meter and to reduce energy use by 15 percent per square meter compared to 2019. The first goal has not been followed up. The second goal has been nearly achieved, as KI’s total energy consumption has decreased by just over 14 percent.
Procurement and purchasing
KI had two goals in procurement and purchasing for 2024. The first was to gain knowledge about emissions from the consumption of goods and services, which was achieved through a climate mapping conducted in 2022. The second goal was to set sustainability and climate requirements in all procurements, call-offs , and purchases where possible, and to follow up on these requirements. This goal has not been achieved. The proportion of procurements and call-offs where KI set environmental requirements varied between 59–23 percent of the total number during the years 2021–2024.
Waste management
In the area of waste, KI set two goals for 2024. The first was to reduce total waste in KI’s premises by 10 percent per full-time equivalent compared to 2019. This goal was achieved in 2023 with a waste reduction of approximately 50 percent per full-time equivalent. The second goal was to introduce food waste collection in all kitchenettes in KI’s premises. This has been implemented in several of KI’s locations.
Chemicals
By 2024, KI aimed to develop efforts to phase out, substitute, and reduce the amount of hazardous chemical products. Development work during 2021–2024 included both a project for phasing out and substituting hazardous chemicals and the introduction of a new course in laboratory safety. The project focused on selected research groups and the specific chemicals they use, and the results were followed up in 2024. The laboratory safety course is mandatory for staff and students working in labs and includes chemical safety and risk assessments.
Communication and competence
Communication did not have its own goal in the action plan for 2024. However, increased knowledge and awareness within the organization are prerequisites for KI to achieve environmental and sustainable goals. KI has undertaken various initiatives to develop communication and competence in this area. The Council for Environment and Sustainable Development has, among other things, organized annual sustainability days where staff and students can gain inspiration and learn from good examples. Information on the website and other channels is continuously developed and updated thanks to a dedicated communication support initiative.