With the launch of its first Environmental Sustainability Plan (ESP), Stellenbosch University (SU) has embarked on an ambitious journey to achieve net zero status – that much-desired balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere – by 2050.

According to SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers, the ESP represents the University’s aim to meet the sustainability challenge presented by the climate crisis. The plan reduces the environmental impact of SU’s campuses and demonstrates a commitment to sustainability in terms of the environment, resources and society.

Chief Director of Facilities Management, Nicolette van den Eijkel, says the University supports the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a pathway to responsible development. “Through our extensive global network, SU actively engages in the broader national and international aspects of sustainability. Apart from the SDGs, the University’s Vision 2040 also considers South Africa’s own National Development Plan and the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” she explains. “As such, SU is uniquely positioned to drive the pursuit of sustainable development and environmental sustainability locally and on the African continent through our actions at our own institution.”