Ecological footprint a university challenge
21.2.2011
Sustainable development is a treasure map to the future for all of humankind. It is founded on a concern for the sustainability of nature, the sensible use of natural resources, the realisation of equal rights for all, ethics and morals. Sustainable development belongs to us all, even universities.
Concrete sustainable development initiatives often get their impetus from separate actions, such as reducing the amount of copier paper used, avoiding elevator use, using the Swan ecolabel and choosing public transit for commuting to work. Integrating the principles of sustainable development in university activities brings issues directly to research and instruction.
Sustainable energy research
Sustainable development energy research is directly linked to the issue of climate change. The planet is forcing researchers to give serious thought to the sustainable development of energy and natural resource consumption, where climate change and increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere represent the biggest challenges to be faced.
If the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is to be 20% less than 1990 levels by the year 2020 and 80% by the year 2050, as stipulated in the EU's SET-Plan, researchers are definitely running out of time to find solutions for realising these targets.
Key areas of intensive research in the near future are wind, solar, CCS, smart grids, biofuels, nuclear energy and smart cities, carbon capture, next-generation solar farms, geothermal power, wave power, hydrogen and, at the farthest reaches of the EU's time horizon, fusion power.
The introduction of biofuels has also effectively shed light on how complex and competing factors may be involved in the production of energy. A balanced atmosphere, competing for food and locally produced energy, medicines and building materials are not always mutually supportive.
Responsible commerce, community planning and information technology
Applied to business, the principles of sustainable development can challenge increases in the consumption of the world's natural resources. By developing entirely new types of service innovations, it will be possible to improve the efficiency of material and energy consumption. A wide range of innovations focusing on climate change, the exploitation of natural resources, degrowth, sustainable business models and technology could be created around ecological problems.
This is a question of eco-efficient and needs-oriented service concepts, which are not intended for a specific product, but are rather geared toward meeting a need. At the same time, the whole notion of consumer "ownership" is challenged, shining a spotlight on the social impact of sustainable development on the quality of life and well-being.
Sustainable community planning produces, among others, tools, in which complicated engineer-speak meets the spoken word, conveying information in both directions. Also, research theory and information technology expertise and design result in "Trading Zones", i.e. interfaces between experts and the general public.
Considered a saviour of the planet, digitalisation and ever-advancing information technology are, indeed, reducing the consumption of energy and the need for travel, producing more effective logistics, smart buildings, better production technology, food production, etc.
The challenge of ICT research is to achieve development, in which everyone wants more and more digital services, digital content and all that is good from the Internet, everywhere. Estimates and forecasts promise an increase in world bit consumption measured in exabits.
This will, of course, require a great deal more energy in order to keep the increasing number of servers, security measures, routers, terminal devices and radio receivers operating. Consequently, researchers certainly have their work cut out for them in reducing the energy consumed by information technology devices, finding green sources of energy, recovering the heat generated by equipment, just to name a few.
Instruction plays a key role
A university would not be a university if it failed to provide research data also for instruction.
One of the main challenges facing sustainable development and teacher-researchers is training academic professionals to understand the principles of sustainable development and use creative problem-solving approaches in managing multidisciplinary innovations.
An example of teaching responsibility is applying the principles of sustainable development in design instruction. Students are forced to give serious thought to what the concept of sustainable development really means, based on their own national circumstances. For example, a product designer would be required to take the product's raw materials into consideration as well as what will happen to the product at the end of its service life.
- "Extensive, comprehensive, multidisciplinary approaches are needed in sustainable development research," states professor Tapio Luttinen. Held at the beginning of Feburary, the No Limits! seminar presented the ideas of Aalto University researchers from sustainable development research and instruction teams.
Text: Eeva Pitkälä
For more information:
Sustainable development in Aalto University
