2024 was the year of sustainability-promoting Sparkles at the University

The year 2024 saw many sustainability and responsibility efforts, or Sparkles, by the University community. A total of 11 Sparkles were implemented, representing different dimensions of sustainability. 

The Sparkles were carried out in a range of groups comprising the University’s staff, students and alumni at its campuses and research stations. All Sparkles will continue after the Sparkle funding, so stay tuned and join us!  

Supporting biodiversity alongside community wellbeing inspired many contributors 

The Sparkle for biodiversity and community wellbeing on Viikki Campus organised the BioBlitz event to highlight biodiversity, inviting members of the University community, schoolchildren and local residents to explore and record the biodiversity of their surrounding environment. These observations are now used to create instructional signs along the pedestrian route on campus, providing information and reminding passers-by of the significance of diversity.  

In Viikki, a forest garden was also planted in front of Biocenter 3, cultivating a culture of forest management that engages the community. An interactive exhibition on nature-derived innovative construction and interior design materials was held in Building EE, also investigating the effect of natural materials in breakout spaces on, for example, learning and bodily conditions in the Nature-Based Solutions sparkle. 

In addition to Viikki, the Kampusviljely ry association put up composts in campus gardening plots in Meilahti, Kumpula and the City Centre. Orientation was provided for using compost, and the active use of the plots will continue in the future. 

A space called Kasvun tila (‘Space for growth’) was built on the asphalted area at Siltavuorenpenger, encompassing a greenhouse, planter boxes as well as knitting and literary art. The space provides a setting for a multidisciplinary scholarly and artistic gardening plot, and a place for engaging sustainability and arts education. A digital platform was also developed for the project, which will continue to promote the use of outdoor education. 

Pursuing carbon neutrality with videos, applications and training 

University of Helsinki Property Services Ltd (HY247) produced an animated video on the energy-efficient use of fume hoods. According to the Sparkle group, their proper use can reduce energy consumption by as much as 10%. At the moment, the aim is to integrate the video into laboratory orientation. 

At the research stations of the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Service Manager Saara Silén promoted responsible kitchen operations through training that improved responsibility awareness. The kitchen staff of the research stations strive to provide increasingly sustainable food to thousands of diners at the stations by organising training and sharing knowledge. 

Food Futures, an application already in use and developed by the University community, was translated into Finnish. The app, which supports increasingly sustainable meal choices among the University community and other users, is now even more accessible. 

Social responsibility developed from different perspectives 

The project developing student-oriented practices in support of participation and career paths in university studies designed practices that will improve the participation opportunities of students with a disability or long-term illness.  

Sparkle funding was also used for animated video material on the ethical guidelines for responsible academic partnerships with the Global South. The video is aimed at making guidelines pertaining to academic partnerships in the Global South increasingly approachable and understandable, as well as facilitating their inclusion in teaching. 

The Helsinki Planetary Health Hub continued to build a network of sustainability operators active in the health sector and organised a seminar workshop for those interested in sustainability research and action. The operations will continue in cooperation with, among others, Diaconia University of Applied Sciences and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. 

We encourage everyone to act for sustainability and responsibility 

With the University preparing for its upcoming four-year implementation plan period 2025–2028, the decision on the continuation of Sparkle funding is pending. However, as the funding call demonstrated, the community has many ideas for promoting sustainability and responsibility at the University. We therefore encourage everyone to share their ideas, for example, with their supervisor or student organisation, and find ways to promote sustainable and responsible day-to-day life at the University through their communities also in the future.  

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Photo: Pinja Tolvanen