“Pusan National University (PNU) and society have not “failed” in addressing climate change. We use the term “failure” when we made an effort and still did not succeed, but we did not even make an effort (at all)," said Lee June-Yi (Prof. of Research Center for Climate Sciences, PNU).

On September 5, the PNU Climate Change Forum, organized by the Engineering Education Innovation Center and the College of Engineering of PNU, was held at the Mechanical Engineering Building. This forum brought professors together from various disciplines to explore sustainable alternatives for achieving a carbon-neutral society in the era of the climate crisis and to share their opinions on the role PNU should play. Six professors attended the forum, including Prof. Lee June-Yi (Prof. of Research Center for Climate Sciences, PNU), Jung Ju-Chul (Prof. of Urban Planning and Engineering, PNU), Park Kang-Hyun (Prof. of Chemistry, PNU), Moon Yu-Seok (Prof. of Convergence Medical Science, PNU), Kim Eun-Hye (Prof. of Sociology, PNU), and Kim Kyung-Woo (Prof. of Public Policy and Management, PNU).

Prof. Lee, who was in charge of the presentation, pointed out that PNU has difficulty achieving carbon neutrality because it has not adequately considered the "sources of carbon emissions." He noted that PNU has only considered emissions from sources it owns (scope 1), neglecting emissions from external energy purchases (scope 2), and secondary emissions outside the organization, such as commuting vehicles and waste disposal (scope 3).

Prof. Lee emphasized that reducing carbon emissions is gradually cheaper and urged PNU to practice reducing it. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), all the necessary technologies to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 are already available. He stated, "As carbon emissions increase, the losses and the damages we need to bear are growing while the costs of reducing carbon emissions are decreasing. It is necessary to reduce demand for carbon through social and cultural infrastructure support, as reducing carbon emissions cannot be achieved solely through individual choices."

Furthermore, he emphasized the educational role of PNU in the era of the climate crisis. He outlined the directions PNU should take: leading interdisciplinary research, cultivating talents who will drive resilient climate development, and elevating the university's international status by enhancing global cooperation. Lastly, to establish and achieve carbon neutrality and sustainable development goals within the university. He stated, "In the future, the contribution of universities to social sustainability will be included in the evaluation of universities."

During the panel discussion that followed the presentation, Prof. Kim Kyung-Woo proposed "visualizing the benefits" as a sustainable alternative. He said, "If individuals directly benefit from the efforts to reduce carbon emissions, each university community member will make efforts for carbon reduction. However, since these benefits are not immediately visible, the efforts of university members are insufficient. Setting targets with specific figures and making individual contributions to carbon reductions visible will lead to unity among members.”

Reporter Choi Yoo-Min

Translated by Ha Chae-Won