UTServicesCFMSustainabilityEventsSustainability Dialogue in-depth session #4

Sustainability Dialogue in-depth session #4 The Campus Metabolism

We are thrilled to invite you to the fourth in-depth session of the Sustainability Dialogue on the Campus Metabolism, which takes place on Tuesday May 23 12:30 to 14:30 at Designlab: LEARN-X / INSPIRE. Again, and as ever, we need your expertise and (lived) experience to carve out a meaningful path together.

Overarching Goals of the Sustainability Dialogue

  1. to discuss how we as UT contribute to "the development of a fair, sustainable and digital society between now and 2030" (from Shaping 2030
  2. to ensure we honour the imperative for change and action on climate and sustainability coming from invested UT community members (bottom-up, grass-roots) 

The campus metabolism

The fourth in-depth session will look at the university campus as a closed system with its own ‘metabolism’ of inflows, throughput and outflows of ecosystem services and resources that the UT produces and consumes. This directly focuses on the activities and mission of the Sustainability, Energy and Environment (SEE) Programme, which conducts the UT’s operational sustainability policy across 10 major themes: Energy, Mobility, Catering, Waste, Events, Buildings, Procurement, Water, Biodiversity, Finance.

We will bring together support staff, students, and specialists from our own campus to exchange best practices, experiences, ideas and queries about the UT’s relationship and use of its living environment. In this vein, we aim to discuss the following topics:

  • How the UT can become authentically carbon neutral and reduce CO2 emissions by 60% or more by 2030
  • How to apply circularity to the campus as a system, and develop a circularity plan by 2024.
  • Becoming circular and energy negative (emissions reductions, zero-waste, reuse, negative emission technology in combination with generating electricity) in the long-term.
  • The urgency and importance of reducing energy consumption across campus. Reducing CO2 emissions that our activities cause as well. Mobility is a major contributor.
  • Decolonise green energy transition. What does a just transition led by the UT look like?
  • How to ensure our labs, travelling habits and catering are also decarbonised in the long-term
  • Water neutrality will need a definition: it could be we harvest/reuse as much rainwater as we take in.

We warmly welcome you to join this Sustainability Dialogue session on Tuesday 23 May from 12:30 to 14:30.

Upcoming sessions

This is the fourth in-depth dialogue out of five total sessions (followed by a final sixth executive action session). 

Mark the following dates in your agenda:

  • June 14, 16:30-18:30: UT System Transformation 
  • June 27, 08:30-10:30: Dialogue to Action: Breakfast meeting with the Executive Board

All sessions will take place at DesignLab. Keep an eye on our website for more information on this and future sessions.

Sustainability Dialogue in-depth session #4 The Campus Metabolism
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