Umeå University has published its latest follow-up on climate and sustainability goals. The university's carbon budget for 2025 was set at 13,132 tonnes of CO2e, but actual emissions came in at 17,917 tonnes. That marks the fourth straight year of overshooting the annual budget. Scope 3 emissions, mainly purchased goods, capital equipment, and travel, make up most of the total, so progress depends on procurement and supplier choices more than campus energy use. There are some positive trends in the report. Energy intensity at the main campus areas dropped to 119 kWh per square meter in 2025, down from 144 in 2022, though the building portfolio covered by the data has expanded over time. Environmental requirements were applied to 97 percent of procurement value in 2025. The university also tracks education, research, biodiversity, and building use, with office occupancy around 36 percent and lecture rooms at 44 percent during the day. The report is useful because it gives concrete numbers instead of vague sustainability language. The main takeaway is that the university is cutting emissions, but not at the pace its own carbon budget requires.
