Climate change and the environment. The University of Padova is committed to achieving the established sustainability objectives.
03.10.2019
Padua is an increasingly environmentally friendly University. Carrying out widespread cultural exchanges through activities, projects, practices, and innovative policies. This includes the 2018-2022 Charter of Sustainability Commitments with which the University of Padova has undertaken to develop an inventory of greenhouse gases (GHG) reporting and monitoring its Carbon Footprint. In collaboration with the Department of Industrial Engineering, the reporting used a model proposed by the ISO 14064-1: 2018 standard along with the guidelines set by the Sustainable Universities Network (RUS), and the principles reports forecasted by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The data relating to the University's direct and indirect emission source for the calendar year 2018 was collected and subsequently reported. The data includes the combustion amount immersed from natural gas, heating oil, and the production of electricity drawn from the grid as well as the indirect emissions disbursed by employees and students during their commute to and from the university.
The results of the 2018 analysis stated that the amount of greenhouse gas emissions were due to: commuting of students (45.6%), energy consumption from the University (39.1%), energy consumption from employees (11.2%), waste disposal (2%), employee travel (1.3%), fugitive refrigerant gas emissions (0.4%), and the international mobility of students (0.4%).
Thus, the most significant amount is due to the commute of students. With over 62,000 active and post-graduate university students, producing greenhouse gases equal to 1,387 kgCO2eq per individual. In part to a series of initiatives designed to protect the environment, the university has carried out this kind of reporting for the first time. The University of Padova has signed the Global Climate Emergency Letter, which will be given to the COP 25 meeting (Conference of the Parties) in Chili next December. The Global Climate Emergency Letter is the result of an initiative coordinated by the Youth and Education Alliance of the UN Environment. The letter is an official invitation to governments, asking them to take drastic and immediate measures in combatting climate change, and to commit to reaching total decarbonisation by 2030. The goal is to reinforce sustainability education through collaboration with institutions committed to quality education. To date, the letter has been signed by 190 universities and institutions, as well as 3 student unions and 48 networks including the Network of Universities for Sustainable Development, of which the University of Padova is an active member.
