University of Bergen and COMFORT H2020

Description of organisation

The University of Bergen, the largest marine university in Norway, and the H2020 EU-funded COMFORT project are aligning their forces to combat climate change and its impacts.

For details on the organisation/pledge please contact Dr. Dagmara Rusiecka, Dagmara.Rusiecka@uib.no.

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Sustainability Mission

The University of Bergen’s (UiB) greatest contribution in battling contemporary climate change is not only through research, education, dissemination, and innovation but also by aligning internal activities with the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, as Norway's largest marine university, with about 22,000 students and staff, UiB coordinates multiple EU-funded research projects, such as the H2020 COMFORT project with a particular focus on ocean acidification, de-oxygenation, warming, and marine tipping points.

 https://www.uib.no and https://www.comfort-project.eu

GHG Emissions

Our actions – the Pathway

The university aims to become climate neutral by 2030 through a reduction of 89% of CO₂ emissions with goals measuring scope 1, 2, and 3

The organisations pledge to become climate neutral by 2030, while actively engaging at the international level with decision makers in developing sustainability solutions. This will be achieved through sub-goals for 2025 (against a 2018 baseline): 1) employees’ travel emissions reduced by 50%, 2) energy consumption reduced by 30%, and 3) emissions from goods and services reduced by 40%. Furthermore, UiB and COMFORT will also battle against climate change by providing science-based knowledge and engaging in communication with policymakers and the general public through outreach events.

How we want to achieve this

• Reduction of emissions arising from employees’ travel by 50% by 2025. The University of Bergen aims to achieve this target through an annual average travel cut by 10%, in alignment with the University’s Green Travel Policy adopted in 2019. The Green Travel Policy encourages e.g. virtual over in-person meetings and choosing trains over air travel.
• Organisation of the annual meetings of the COMFORT project in locations with the lowest possible travel carbon footprint (e.g. Brussels).
• Installation of at least 11,000 solar panels on its roof by 2023, which will produce 2-3 gigawatt of electricity each year.
• Modernisation of the local heating system by installing a new heat pump, which will save 8 million kWh of energy annually.
• The University of Bergen and the COMFORT project, provide state-of-the-art scientific knowledge directly translated into political and societal action. They aim to further reinforce the urgent need for GHG emissions reduction and green transformation. This will be achieved through close interaction and two way-communication with citizens, students and policymakers at the national and European levels.

Status date: Submitted (15/02/2022)

Data source: https://www.uib.no

Multi-Topic

Our actions – the Pathway

Have a target of reducing consumption by 40%

The organisations seek to increase the use of climate-friendly products, including organic foods. The University of Bergen aims to increase the use of environmentally and socially conscious textile products that are certified with internationally recognised standard setters such as Nordic Ecolabel, Fairtrade and GOTS.

The food served at the annual meetings of the COMFORT project is pescetarian with locally and seasonally sourced products.

Status date: Submitted (15/02/2022)

Data source: https://www.uib.no