Presidential Opening to a Full Day Dedicated to Sustainability

Last Friday, the Environmental Council and the Stefansson Arctic Institute at the University of Akureyri co-hosted the university’s annual Sustainability Conference for the second consecutive year.

President Halla Tómasdóttir Opening Remarks

The conference was opened by Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland, and the keynote speaker was Professor Jukka Heinonen from the University of Iceland, who delivered a lecture entitled "Affluence and the climate-sustainability illusion in the Nordics.”  This was followed by a rich and dynamic program of national and international presentations exploring sustainability from diverse perspectives.

 Stefansson Student Sustainability Award Ceremony

The program also featured the award ceremony of the Stefansson Student Sustainability Award (worth 40.000 kr.), formally presented by rector Áslaug Ásgeirsdóttir.

The award recognizes outstanding student final theses on sustainability topics. This year it was awarded to Erna Óðinsdóttir for her bachelor’s thesis entitled “Úrgangur sem auðlind: Tilraunaverkefni um forflokkunarlager textíls.” Last year, it was Ísold Egla Guðjónsdóttir who received the award for her final thesis, “Redirecting phosphorus from wastewater: Screening for phosphate accumulating bacteria from clam guts for potential wastewater remediation applications.”

Students completing their final thesis this year or next are strongly encouraged to apply for the award next spring, which will be presented at the seventh Sustainability Conference in 2027.

The Green Flag Awarded for the Sixth Time

During the lunch break, a representative from Landvernd (the Icelandic Environment Association) formally awarded the Green Flag to the University of Akureyri for the sixth time.

The University of Akureyri first received the Green Flag in 2013, becoming the first university in Iceland to do so and among the first universities in the world to raise the Green Flag. Awarded by Landvernd as part of an international environmental education programme, the Green Flag honours institutions that demonstrate a long-term and meaningful commitment to environmental responsibility.

We sincerely thank everyone who participated, either in person or online, for an informative and inspiring day, and we look forward to seeing you again next year!