KI´s Sustainability Day 2 April – “Planetary boundaries + health”
Wednesday, 2 April, it is time for KI’s Sustainability Day. This year, the theme is planetary boundaries and the connection to health. Employees and students are invited to a day in Biomedicum with inspirational lectures, good examples from KI’s operations and several award ceremonies. Carl Johan Sundberg, professor and dean of KI Nord, highlights the connection between planetary boundaries and health, and Maria Wolrath Söderberg from Södertörn University delves into climate rhetoric.
News for this year is the poster competition, which is open to all students and doctoral students at KI. It aims to recognize students who have proposed or have implemented innovative and significant projects at the intersection of sustainability and health. The last day to register for the competition is March 26.
Hi Shervin Shahnavaz, project manager for the event, why does KI have a Sustainability Day?
“There is a need to meet across disciplinary and organizational boundaries and discuss sustainability issues in a broader context. With this Sustainability Day, we want to promote employees' awareness and commitment to environmental and sustainability work at Karolinska Institutet.”
“Sustainability Day strengthens and develops existing networks in the area of environment, climate and sustainable development, but also provides an opportunity to develop new ones. The purpose of the day is to attract, involve and inspire more employees and students to make KI even more sustainable by spreading knowledge and setting good examples.”
What are your expectations for the day?
“The expectations are that visitors will be inspired, learn more about planetary boundaries from a KI and health perspective, expand their network, get a better understanding of global events of importance for sustainability work, learn about what sustainable and climate-friendly healthcare means, and become more argumentative, not least through rhetorical and communicative skills.”
“KI conducts research in health from a sustainability perspective in many ways, while the organization strives to reduce the negative environmental and climate impact that KI's operations cause. We have many good examples from different parts of the operation that we would like to share to inspire.”
How did you come up with this year's theme?
“Planetary boundaries is a concept introduced in KI's new action plan for the environment and sustainable development 2025–2027. The action plan is being developed as we speak and is expected to be ready in the spring. The concept shows in a concrete way nine planetary boundaries within which we can ensure a safe and healthy development for life on Earth.”
“Inspiration for the theme also came from the prestigious Virchow Prize in Global Health, which in 2024 went to professors Johan Rockström, who is one of the researchers behind planetary boundaries, and Lucy Gilson, who is a health systems researcher,” says Shervin Shahnavaz, vice chair of the Council for Environment and Sustainable Development.
Hi Maria Wolrath Söderberg – what are you going to talk about at KI's Sustainability Day?
“My research is based on the fact that most people know that there is a serious climate crisis and want to live in a sustainable way, but still have high emissions. How can we bridge the gap between knowledge and action? Why is it so difficult to change? How can we get ourselves moving? It will be a conversation where I believe we will talk about obstacles and drivers for change.”
“It is relevant from many perspectives – for us as individuals, as professionals, as an organization. Maybe we will talk about the role of healthcare as well. I will also take the opportunity to problematize some beliefs, ideas, about how change work should be conducted and what had a strong impact, that does not seem to work,” says Maria Wolrath Söderberg.
More information and registration
Register and read more about the program of KI's Sustainability Day. The event is organized by the Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development via a working group consisting of Nikolaus Mezger, Emma Swärdh, Maya Petrén, Lilia Daianova and Shervin Shahnavaz.