Table 5 Open-space comments of the sample around the topic of decarbonisation in teaching and research

Challenges

“Decarbonization remains predominantly technology focused, there is a need to better integrate social sciences and also to consider decarbonization from a systems level perspective versus one-off technologies”

“Not enough courses are related to carbon emission reductions in the social science field”

“Here, decarbonization is usually encountered as a theoretical issue in climate change research.”

“Too much curriculum is focused on all sources (including maintaining and making fossil more efficient), not picking & choosing future energy source winners. That doesn't prepare students to be leaders though.”

“It can and should be much more, but many teachers are not interested in the theme, researchers much more”

“The curriculum is being 'greened' including around carbon emissions and climate change, but it is fragmented and not well coordinated.”

Supporting arguments

“It is one concept that is gathering international attention, both in policymaking and academia, and worth embedding in teaching and research.”

“New research projects aligned to decarbonization are needed. An increase in inclusion, in curricular programmes”

“The decarbonisation should be included in the curricula of the Universities”

“We need more affirmative action” “We need to learn more about this”

“We should include it in all study plans” “It's important to teach”

Positive stories

“I think many of our students come to us highly motivated about decarbonisation and other environmental protection. They fit with what many of our staff want to teach and research. Our campus has a high fraction of research and teaching concerned with renewables, ecology, geography, and sustainability.”

“Significant strengths” (e.g. centres/institutes on climate change/sustainable energy)

“We are developing a new model on this topic”

“We are launching a major effort” (referred to as a partnership for a centre on carbon capture)

“We have an active focus on using campus operations as a classroom for students to learn about decarbonization”

“We have embedded this in our teaching and research and more needs to be done across the schools”

“We introduce the topic of decarbonization in our education in some of the courses, such as the one focusing on Closed Loop Supply Chains. Students have the option to choose for a master thesis topic on ‘footprinting’, which includes carbon or ecological footprinting.”

“Within our new plan is the target for all programmes at each level (first year, second year, etc.) to include the climate & ecological crisis in their indicative content”