Sustainable Development Goals
Part I. Actions leading to reduced energy consumption
Sustainable Development Goals are one of the most important stages of the SGGW development strategy until 2030
SGGW is the oldest Polish life sciences university therefore the only way is to maintain a balance between socio-economic development and the protection and support of the natural environment.
The commitment to the idea of sustainable development has been recognized in this year’s The Impact Rankings. This is the world’s leading ranking based on the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. The following actions were appreciated: 2. Zero Hunger. 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, 3. Life on Land. Sustainable development is how we must live today if we want a better tomorrow, by meeting present needs without compromising the chances of future generations to meet their needs. We have set ourselves the goal of implementing solutions necessary for the effective management of resources such as energy and water by implementing saving technologies. We collect rainwater in two underground storage tanks, and we are currently working on how to use it. Air pollution and climate change are also inextricably linked. Air quality affects human health, climate change, and the protection of the environment.
The natural consequence of this combination is the necessity to take care of the air we breathe. Therefore, we are gradually introducing various solutions to improve its quality. These include for example, the installation of electric car charging stations, the annual expansion of the forested area, or limiting the use of internal combustion engine cars around the campus by equipping technical employees with bicycles.
Biodiversity is another priority in implementing sustainable development policy. Due to the nature profile of the University, it is of particular importance to us. Creating flower meadows in urban spaces, hotels for insects, and revitalizing green areas are among the activities we undertake to achieve the goal, i.e., to fight against biodiversity loss and increase understanding of the vital role that biodiversity plays in sustaining life on Earth. Joining the development program through the implementation of SDGs, we knew from the beginning that we would be involved in the fight against hunger, which was noticed by The Impact Rankings. The activities related to food and consumption that we implement include the promotion of food-sharing points, hence, we reduce food waste and promote sustainable eating habits.
At SGGW we conduct research on food safety and production, which will allow us to deal with the sustainable approach to consumption and food management in the future. This also includes activities involving the creation of rest areas for students and employees, which also allow for the preparation of meals. We are one of the biggest universities in Poland. Students, doctoral students, teaching, and administrative staff make up a community of nearly 20,000 people. We have a large and diverse human capital, by initiating the creation of community gardens, implementing a gender equality policy, and guaranteeing universal education, we are gradually implementing a sustainable social development plan.
Goal7. Affordable and Clean Energy
The implementation of the objectives listed in the introduction involves tasks which implementation require securing financial resources and undertaking a number of organizational or technical activities and time. We are developing in the sustainable energy sector. We are aware that economic growth, environmental protection, and improvement of living conditions will not happen without finding an effective compromise between these areas. One of the tools to achieve this goal is the generation of energy using renewable sources. The main one is the sun.
Three photovoltaic installations with a cumulative capacity of 33kW have already been installed on the SGGW New Campus. Moreover, in the Forest Experimental Station in Rogów, a 40kW installation has been operating for several years.
Soon, in Ursynów and SGGW other locations 1000 kW photovoltaic panels will appear. Heat pumps were installed in three buildings. The devices transfer heat, which is why it is more energy-efficient than other ways of heating. It is also worth noting that several solar panels have been installed on one of the buildings. Thanks to them, nearly 100 technical employees use hot water heated exclusively by the sun in the spring and summer.
Thanks to the heat network management system, during the heating season (between 8:00 pm and 6:00 am) the temperature is automatically lowered by 2°C. We implement the HVAC control system to regulate heating and air conditioning systems in classrooms. LED lighting was also installed in most of the SGGW facilities to reduce energy costs. All those solutions help us save energy, reduce emissions, fight against climate change, and achieve sustainable development goals.
Summary
The constant development of projects initiated in previous years and the continuous expansion of undertaken activities are crucial for SGGW.
More information regarding the implementation of the Sustainable Development policy will contain data, as follows: water, air and climate, food and consumption, society and science, and biodiversity.