Climate change is no longer a distant threat but a pressing reality reshaping our planet. According to the IPCC’s 2023 report, global average temperatures have risen by 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era, driving extreme weather events—from record-breaking heatwaves to intensified hurricanes—and threatening ecosystems, food security, and human well-being worldwide. What makes this crisis complex is its deep entanglement with human activities, particularly how we produce waste, treat our oceans, and consume energy.

Plastic pollution:

For this part,l will introduce Plastics are the main source of greenhouse gases.Plastic contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.Plastics take hundreds of years to decompose, and during the process of re-decomposition, they release methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas.At the same time,The extreme weather has further exacerbated the spread of plastic waste.

Marine pollution:

For this part,This link closely with plastic pollution. Plastic covers coral reefs and kills plankton (these tiny organisms capture a large portion of the world's carbon dioxide, weakening the ocean's ability. Meanwhile, climate warming leads to an increase in ocean temperatures, which accelerates the decomposition of pollutants and makes them more toxic to marine life. This vicious cycle of interaction pollutes the ocean, and the ocean, in turn, is unable to cope with climate change, putting the marine ecosystem and coastal communities at risk.

Energy use:

The Primary Driver of Warming.Energy consumption is the single biggest contributor to climate change: fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) account for 65% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.

How dundee University students can do:

The important of students.As students, we occupy a unique space: we are learners, influencers, and future leaders. what we buy, how we travel, what we advocate for—ripple outward. A single campus campaign to reduce plastic use can inspire thousands; We’re not just passive observers—we’re the bridge between awareness and action.With this context, let’s dive deeper into how these issues intersect, and what concrete steps we can take.

• Global warming has increased the frequency of extreme weather events.

• For example,UN News (2023)report that, in 2022, heavey rains and glacial floods did submerge about one-third of Pakistan's territory.

• Refference:UN News (2023) 'Pakistan: Flood waters have gone but horror continues for children, UNICEF warns'.https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/08/1140057.Accessed July 30, 2025.

2.Ecoligical system damage-coral reefs,costal wetlands,rainforests(Perry,N., Mivielle,J., 2024).

• As the global warming magnitude increases,the warm coral reefs,costal wetlands,rainforests,and polar and mountain can not adapt this changing by theirselves.they may face the risk of collapse and degradation.

• For instance,in 2023,about 3.7millon hectares of rainforests were destroyed globally,equaivalent to losing nearly 10 standard-sized football fields of forest every minute(Perry,N., Mivielle,J., 2024).

• Refference:Perry,N., Mivielle,J. (2024) 'Despite gains in Brazil, forest destruction still 'stubbornly' high: Report'. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-gains-brazil-forest-destruction-stubbornly.html. Accessed July 30, 2025.

  
  

3.Impact on human health-people easy die from disease(WHO, 2019)

• Climate change has a essential impact on human health.Especially the heatwaves can cause heatstroke and kidney damage and exacerbate the health risks of respiratory and cardiovascular chronic disease.

• WHO (2019)report that,if the trends of heatwaves continun,an prediction of the additional 250,000 people die globally every year from 2030.

• Refference:WHO (2019) 'WHO hosts dialogue on climate change and health'.

  https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/item/12-12-2019-who-hosts-dialogue-on-climate-change-and-health. Accessed July 30, 2025.

  
  

• Commitment to Net Zero 2045 & Carbon Management Plan

Dundee University has formally committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2045, guided by an updated Carbon Management Plan developed in October 2022. A Carbon Action Planning Group, chaired by a University Executive member, oversees this ongoing effort through eight focused workstreams. (University of Dundee, Policy)

1. Education

2. Research

3. Carbon Smart Campus

4. Procurement and Supply Chain

5. Sustainable Travel

6. Investment and Financing

7. Biodiversity

8. Environmental Sustainability Task Group

• Annual Reporting & Scope Monitoring
  
  

The University currently reports annually through the Sustainable Scotland Network, focused on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and in 2022 commissioned an independent review to evaluate Scope 3 emissions (which can represent up to 70% of total carbon footprint) (University of Dundee)

• Scope 1 (Direct Emissions): 

Emissions that the university directly produces.

         Ex: Fuel used in university-owned vehicles

• Scope 2 (Indirect Energy Emissions):

Emissions look at where our energy is purchased from.

Ex: Emissions from the electricity, heat, or cooling the university buys from outside.

• Scope 3 (Other Indirect Emissions)

All other emissions that happen outside the university, but are linked to its activities.

Ex: 

Staff and student travel (flights, commuting)

Purchased goods and services (equipment, food)

Waste disposal

Construction materials

Water use

Scope 3 is the largest and also the hardest to measure.

• Infrastructure & Behavioural Actions

 Existing campus initiatives include LED lighting upgrades, furniture reuse programs, community allotments, green travel schemes, recycling campaigns, and botanical biodiversity work, all part of everyday operations. (Energy and Environment, Sustainability)

• Strong Governance & Strategic Framework

Sustainability is embedded within University Strategy 2022–27. Governance responsibility lies with University Court, the Executive Group, and the Carbon Board, ensuring high‑level oversight and accountability.

• Student & Staff Engagement Channels

Dundee runs the Carbon Action & Sustainability (CAS) online module compulsory for all students and provides accredited Carbon Literacy Training for staff and students. Over 100 Sustainability Champions across faculties support grassroots engagement.

• Research-Led Climate Innovation

Dundee leads research in low‑carbon materials, most notably via the calcined‑clay concrete project, which has shown a 30% reduction in embodied carbon compared to conventional cement.

Challenges

• Incomplete Coverage of Scope 3 Emissions
  While Scope 1 and 2 emissions are tracked regularly, the University is still early in understanding and managing Scope 3 emissions, such as procurement, travel, investments, and waste.
  

• Dealing with the listed estate

• Dealing with travel: business travel, conferences, commuting, student travel

• Changing behaviours

• New technologies

• energy transition:promoting renewable energy such as solar energy,wind energy and hydropower to replace the fossil fuels.

• green trasportation:developing electic and hybrid vehicle,completing transport system and encouraging people walk or bycycle to decrease the emission of carbong.

• low carbon industry:driving the energy-saving transfermation in industrial production process,using cleaning produce technology to strength ability of dealing and recycling of industrial waste gas and water.

2.Adapting the influences of climate change

• Enhance infrastructure construction:promoting urban drainage system,reinforcing disaster resistance capacity to constructions to cope with the extreme weather.

• Protect food and water resources:to cultivate drought-and waterlogging-tolerant crops and developing water-saving agriculture.

• promote protection of public health:establish warning mechanism for health and risk of high temperatures ans air pollution,and strengthen prevenion and control of disease like respiratory and cardiovascular.

2. Transparent cooperation.

   · Students (we) are concerned about the transparency of university partnerships with third parties, especially those wiith fossil fuel companies. Additionally, we also suggest that university should reduce the use of disposable plastic tableware and promote the achievement of the carban neutrality target.

   
   

3. Encourage climate action.

   · We advised that university should encourage stundents to participate in climate action. We hope university of Dundee could provide more plantform and opportunities for us to engage in climate actions. For instance, through plantforms like Goodwall, students can be encouraged to share their creativity can be showcased to the global community through the 'virtual elevator speech' feacture. Moreover, university can organize students to participate activities such as enviornmental protection, signing petitons, climate protests and other means, they can enhance their social influence.

(This conclusion balances achievements with ongoing challenges, ensuring a forward-looking perspective.)

2.International Energy Agency. (2022). CO₂ Emissions from Fuel Combustion 2022. https://www.iea.org/reports/co2-emissions-from-fuel-combustion-2022

3.Ford, H. V., Jones, N. H., Davies, A. J., Godley, B. J., Jambeck, J. R., Napper, I. E., Suckling, C. C., Williams, G. J., Woodall, L. C., & Koldewey, H. J. (2022). The fundamental links between climate change and marine plastic pollution. Science of The Total Environment, 806(1), 150392.

https://www.dundee.ac.uk/estates/sustainability

https://www.dundee.ac.uk/estates/energy-environment

https://www.dundee.ac.uk/about/sustainability

https://www.dundee.ac.uk/stories/new-report-builds-foundations-cut-constructions-carbon-footprint

https://www.dundee.ac.uk/corporate-information/carbon-management-plan

https://www.dundee.ac.uk/corporate-information/carbon-management-programme-and-ucccfs

https://www.dundee.ac.uk/corporate-information/sustainability-net-zero-and-carbon-emissions