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Environmental and sustainability assessment

KTH impacts the environment both directly and indirectly through its education, research, collaboration, and day-to-day operations. To systematically identify and prioritise activities with the greatest environmental impact, KTH conducts regular environmental and sustainability assessments in accordance with ISO 14001. The assessment is based on analyses of operational processes, legal requirements, risks and opportunities, as well as external environment and stakeholder perspectives. It constitutes an important foundation for KTH's sustainability and climate goals and the development of its operations.

KTH's work particularly encompasses areas such as education, research, resource management, and the climate, where initiatives are guided by goals and action plans to reduce environmental impact and contribute to sustainable development.

Environmental and Sustainability Assessment at KTH 2024

In accordance with the Environmental Management Ordinance and the ISO 14001:2015 environmental management standard, an environmental review must be conducted to identify which activities have a significant environmental impact and which the environmental management system should focus on.

KTH has conducted an environmental and sustainability assessment to:

  • create a comprehensive overview of its environmental impact

  • monitor the progress of its sustainability work

  • serve as a basis for new sustainability goals for 2026–2030 and climate goals up to 2045

The assessment is based on statistics and analyses within KTH's ISO 14001-certified environmental management system, including operational processes, legal requirements, external environment and stakeholder analyses, as well as risk and opportunity assessments.

​ Environmental and Sustainability Assessment KTH (in Swedish) ​ (pdf 1.6 MB)

Activities with Environmental Impact

Areas of Significant Environmental Impact at KTH

KTH's activities with a significant environmental impact encompass the following target areas:

  • Education

  • Research

  • Collaboration

  • Integration and working methods

  • Resource management

The area of resource management is divided into the following sub-areas:

  • Travel and transport

  • Procurement and waste

  • Sustainable buildings

  • Food and catering

  • Biodiversity and ecosystem services

Activities with an environmental impact are operations that have, or may have, an effect on the surroundings. This includes impacts on air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, human health, and the interrelationship between these factors.

A significant activity is an activity that causes or may cause a substantial environmental impact, and which must therefore be prioritised within the environmental work.

Direct and Indirect Environmental Impact

Direct environmental impacts arise within the organisation's own operations, for example through:

  • energy use

  • waste generation

  • the use of chemicals

Indirect environmental impacts occur outside the organisation, but as a result of KTH's activities, for example through:

  • purchased goods and services

  • procurement procedures

  • the effects of education and research

Indirect environmental impacts are often more difficult to measure, but are assessed as being highly significant and are therefore included in KTH's environmental work.

Donations and Foundations

Foundations are separate legal entities and not part of the government agency. Donations constitute KTH’s own funds and are handled as an environmental aspect in the environmental aspect register. See KTH’s Policy for the investment of capital derived from donations

Goals and Monitoring

To reduce environmental impact and contribute to sustainable development, KTH has established sustainability goals and climate goals within these areas. Accompanying these goals is an action plan detailing concrete measures.

For Environmental aspect list (Excel) (swedish), contact KTH Sustainability Office, kth-miljo@kth.se