University climate action: more than 89 leaders from 30 countries united at new Rectors' Network for Sustainability seminar

Featured speeches: experiences from Ecuador and Costa Rica

María Augusta Hermida Palacios, Rector of the University of Cuenca (Ecuador) and Vice-President for Climate Action and Campus Management of the Network, presented a critical diagnosis of the global climate crisis, highlighting its direct impact on the Andean region and the growing risks associated with droughts, forest fires, climate migration and water scarcity. He stressed that universities have a crucial role to play in generating situated knowledge and implementing cross-cutting climate actions, from governance to campus management.

In his speech, he proposed five key areas for action: institutional climate governance, education, research, social engagement and campus management. Among the good practices of the University of Cuenca he mentioned:

• Sustainability and climate change electives accessible to all students.
• The MoverU project, which promotes sustainable mobility through incentives and technology.
• Self-sustainable solar-powered classrooms and a microgrid laboratory for renewable energy research.
• Strategic projects in Galapagos and Cuenca focused on water management and ecosystem protection.

• The use of the RESIES tool to measure progress in institutional sustainability in the Ecuadorian Network of Sustainable Universities.

  Rector Hermida emphasised the need for informed and committed rector leadership:

Palacios emphasised the need for informed and committed rector leadership: “Universities are difficult structures to change. We need political will and training to achieve profound transformations towards sustainability”.

Joselyn Zúñiga Meléndez, Coordinator of the Institutional Decarbonisation Plan of the Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED), Costa Rica, presented the experience of this public institution that has managed to certify 10 university campuses as carbon neutral under the national Carbon Neutrality 2.0 programme, based on international standards such as ISO 14064.

Her presentation, entitled ‘From conviction to action’, recounted the implementation of a comprehensive institutional strategy based on:

• An institutional environmental policy articulated with the national framework and the National Decarbonisation Plan.
• The creation of regional environmental commissions composed of technical and administrative staff from different headquarters.
• A rigorous training process in technical standards and carbon footprint measurement methodologies.
• Design and monitoring of GHG emissions inventories, reduction plans and internal and external audits.
• Offsetting through the purchase of carbon credits from the Forest Financing Fund (FONAFIFO) and exploration of own natural sinks, as well as the development of innovative projects such as ‘liquid trees’ (use of algae to capture carbon) and gasifiers to reduce fuel consumption.

Zúñiga noted that one of the biggest challenges has been to transform the organisational culture and standardise processes in a geographically distributed university: “Carbon neutrality is not mandatory, it is voluntary. That’s why we had to raise the issue with the university council to get real commitment. The key was to form diverse, committed and empowered teams.”