With the recent COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, sustainable development has emerged as an international issue. ESG management and environmentally friendly technologies are also gaining public interest. Various projects regarding environmental issues are underway within Seoul National University as well, and the SNU Institute for Sustainable Development is at its center. Launched in 2009 as a research institute under the direct control of the headquarters, the SNU Institute for Sustainable Development is planning various student programs as well as professional research for the sustainable development of our society.
The research activities of the Institute for Sustainable Development involve not only the Graduate School of Environmental Studies but also a committee and researchers composed of faculty members from various colleges. One example is the Green Report, which has been written every year since 2014. The Green Report presents the amount of energy consumed and greenhouse gas that was emitted over the past year in almost all spaces under the jurisdiction of Seoul National University, which include Gwanak Campus, Yeongeon·Pyeongchang·Siheung Campus, Arboretum, and Ranch. The end of the report specifies the progress or effect of the energy conservation project being implemented. For example, the old facility replacement project of 2020 introduced in the report replaced aging heating and cooling facilities and boilers of four buildings (building 68, 220, 330, 56), which is expected to reduce carbon dioxide by about 68.7 tons per year.
The main contents of the Green Report can also be found in the form of a greenhouse gas energy infographic organized in pictures and graphs. As it is in visualized format, it delivers information easily to school members and is also used as digital content such as webzines to create a culture of reducing greenhouse gas on campus.
The Institute for Sustainable Development also operates various programs that students can participate in. The Green Leadership curriculum was established in academic courses since 2011 to cultivate students with environmental knowledge, and if more than 15 credits are completed above a certain score (3.0 GPA), a certificate certified by the Ministry of Environment will be given. Among them, the Green Leadership Internship, a mandatory course held during seasonal semesters, is a program where companies and institutions can learn sustainable social work closely.
The TOSS for Student meeting is an event for undergraduate students organized by the Sustainability Meeting, which has been held for experts and graduate students since 2014. As it targets undergraduate students, it consists of easier and more fun-seeking contents. It was held for the first time in June this year and has been held three times so far. Chae-rim Yoon (Department of Anthropology), a representative of the central environmental club SNUCR, who has participated since the first meeting, said, "I thought that if the school environmental clubs unite, there could be a meaningful discourse because environmental issue requires the interest of many people. The experience of the activists whom I met through this meeting became a good guide to environmental club activities.”.
As such, the Institute for Sustainable Development is making various efforts to create an eco-friendly campus and a healthy community. Many of the activities of the research institute are reported to members of the school in the form of a hand-written poster at the central stairs of the Gwanjeong Library or the passage of the central library. In addition, various research reports and specific activities such as the Green Report can be found on the website of the Institute for Sustainable Development.
Website of the Institute for Sustainable Development https://isd.snu.ac.kr