Climate Action Plan

In June 2024, the Office of Sustainability at JGU released a comprehensive Climate Action Plan as part of the annual Sustainable Development Report.

1. Reduction of carbon footprint
   According to UNEP, materials used in the construction of buildings account for around nine per cent of overall energy-related CO2 emissions. As JGU’s infrastructure continues to develop and expand, we have to maintain a ratio of carbon emissions to the Gross Internal Area. As we prepare to measure our Scope 3 emissions, all university-sponsored travel – a major contributor for emissions produced by universities – will be calculated as well.
2. Memberships in global sustainability groups
   JGU aims to cement our commitment towards mitigating climate change by joining globally recognized groups committed to the same goal. Participation in these groups will help our teams strengthen our skill sets, learn from best practices from top institutions, highlight our own contributions, exchange ideas and build valuable relationships for cross-border collaborations.
3. Certifications for building and operations
   As JGU aims to make our day-to-day operations sustainable in the aspects of transportation, water, energy, resources and indoor environment quality, the Office of Sustainability will work on acquiring appropriate certifications of our buildings and renovations.
4. ISO certifications
   The university is exploring different ISO certifications to benchmark our processes in management, quality and sustainability across different functional units. 
5. Moving towards zero waste
   The university is monitoring the food and general waste produced during campus operations and exploring projects for significantly reducing and recycling waste as well as adopting a zero waste target year.
6. Air quality index monitoring system
   Air pollutants and greenhouse gases often come from the same sources, such as coal-fired power plants and diesel-fueled vehicles. It is important to identify the key pollutants in the area and their sources to track anomalies which can be dangerous to health. Air quality index monitoring systems are to be installed in the campus for daily monitoring of air quality levels for the wellbeing of the community. 
7. Making transportation more eco-friendly
   JGU has set up a three-phased plan for making the commute of visitors, staff and students more environmentally friendly. We will install more EV charging ports and make them accessible to all. We will continue to encourage all staff members to use shuttles instead of their personal vehicles for their daily commute to the campus. We are looking for collaboration opportunities with companies who can support greener travel around the country for our employees.