The systematic environmental work of the Department of Human Geography is governed by Stockholm University's environmental policy and management system, the Department's environmental policy and the Department's environmental action plan.

Environmental policy for the Department of Human Geography

The Department's current environmental policy applies since 2017 in addition to what is required throughout the University. The policy addresses five target areas, which the Department can influence:

Paper
Department paper consumption should be reduced by 5% yearly.

  • Course descriptions, course and module guides should not be distributed on paper.

Kitchen supplies
Emissions caused by supplies in the Department’s kitchen should be reduced yearly.

  • Washing-up detergent, coffee, milk, sugar and tea must be organic or ecolabelled and should also be labelled ‘fair trade’.
  • Disposable items, like plastic cups, should not be used if there are alternatives.

Travel
Emissions of greenhouse gases caused by business and educational travel should be reduced by 5% yearly.

  • Business travel up to 500 km one way must to be made by rail and ought to be made by rail up to 1 000 kilometres. If the journey is no longer than 1 000 km one way times and costs for the rail travel must always be requested from the travel agency.
  • Field courses and excursions up to 1 500 km one way should primarily be by rail and secondly by coach or bus. If the journey is no longer than 1 500 km one way times and costs for the rail travel must always be requested from the travel agency.
  • Travel for example, simpler meetings and guest lectures should be replaced by online meetings.

Computers and other equipment
Eco-labelled or less environmentally damaging products should be selected.

  • When choosing between two similar products, the least environmentally harmful should be selected.

Environmental policy
All employees should know about Stockholm University’s environmental policy

  • All employees should be informed of Stockholm University’s environmental policy at employment and be reminded annually at a staff meeting and by email.

Environmental action plan for the Department of Human Geography 2020

The Environmental Action Plan has three target areas to be implemented in 2020.

Better picture of the department's travels

  • Follow-up of the department's travels.

Reduced travel 

  • Examine how teaching was carried out during the pandemic and provide guidance for future pedagogy. Distance education since 2020 has provided better knowledge of how education can be carried out without travel. This applies to digital solutions as well as, for example, replacing bus excursions with excursions by foot.

Further improve the work of including students in the environmental work

  • Inform about the environmental work and facilitate involvement from student union, student council and students.
    In the course Environmental Challenges in a Social Science Perspective, 7.5 credits, students analyze the university's and the department's environmental work and propose changes.

Monitoring

The Department's internal environmental work is monitored by ALM (see below), at an annual management review of the previous year's environmental action plan's goal fulfilment, through responses to annual surveys on the environmental work at the University's departments and on regular reviews by internal and external environmental auditors, who report to University management.

Committee

The task of the Department's Committee for Work Environment, Equal Opportunities and Environment (ALM) is to monitor environmental issues at the Department and to propose measures that can help reduce resource consumption, increase the use of environmentally adapted products, and work to raise awareness of environmental issues in staff and students.

Contact
Environmental representative at the Department: Anders Rickegård.