The ALLEA (All European Academies) Working Group, “Climate Sustainability in the Academic System”, has published its report “Towards Climate Sustainability of the Academic System in Europe and beyond”. The Working Group, founded in 2021 and led by Die Junge Akademie, addresses the challenges and opportunities in the transition to climate sustainability in the academic system.

In the ALLEA Report presented, the Working Group compiles available data on greenhouse gas emissions from various stakeholders within the academic system and discusses existing practices to reduce emissions. Their analysis shows that the academic system is currently not climate sustainable and that significant changes are necessary for a transformation towards sustainability. These not only bring challenges but also often have the potential for co-benefits. The authors provide a series of concrete recommendations for the various stakeholders to shift the academic system towards climate sustainability. Among the stakeholders are universities, research institutes, funding organisations, students, conference organisers, academies, professional bodies, and policy-makers.

“We encourage stakeholders in the academic system to seize the opportunity now to become aware of their climate impact and implement appropriate solutions to reduce their emissions,” said Professor Astrid Eichhorn, Speaker of Die Junge Akademie and Chair of the ALLEA Working Group. “Our report identifies specific steps that the scientific system can take to implement important first steps towards climate sustainability right now. Individual organizations have already initiated these steps, and a broader transformation could be within reach.”

Please find the online version of the Report here ALLEA (2022) Towards Climate Sustainability of the Academic System in Europe and Beyond. Berlin. DOI 10.26356/clima-te-sust-acad