After deciding to adjust my research direction, I didn’t completely give up on looking into the University of Edinburgh’s Net Zero efforts. Since I’m studying Future Infrastructure, Climate Change, and Sustainability, this topic is still at the heart of my academic interests. Plus, doing research based on the university I’m currently in just seems more practical—it’s easier to access data and visit the site if needed.

With that in mind, I started browsing through more of the university’s sustainability-related materials. One day, while I was exploring the official sustainability website, I came across something that really caught my attention. The website is packed with information—it covers everything from energy use and carbon emissions, to building renovations, greening projects on campus, sustainable transport options, waste management, and community engagement. There’s detailed content and data for each area, with timelines and target goals clearly laid out.

I was genuinely impressed and spent a few hours reading through different project descriptions and progress reports. It was clear that the university has made serious efforts toward sustainability and its Net Zero goals. It’s not just talk—they’ve actually taken real action in areas like improving energy efficiency, using renewable energy, and enhancing recycling systems.

But while I was getting excited about all this, another thought popped into my mind: Why am I only discovering all of this now, as a student in a related program? If I hadn’t actively looked for this website, I might still know nothing about what the university has done. That realization led me to a bigger question: Is the University of Edinburgh really communicating its sustainability work effectively?

To explore this more, I started talking to classmates and friends. To my surprise, most of them had very little knowledge about the university’s sustainability actions. Some had only a vague idea that the university cared about the environment, but they didn’t know any specific strategies or projects.

This really made me think. On one hand, the university is putting so many resources into sustainability work. But on the other hand, these efforts don’t seem to be well-known or widely recognized. If people on campus aren’t aware of these actions, doesn’t that limit their impact? After all, sustainability isn’t just about putting systems in place—it’s also about raising awareness and changing people’s behavior. How can students and staff be expected to get involved if they don’t even know what’s happening?

That’s when I started wondering if there’s some kind of gap in communication. Sure, the university has a lot of detailed information available online, but maybe it’s not actually reaching the people it’s meant for. This reminded me of the “digital divide” concept I learned in journalism—that just because information exists, doesn’t mean it’s being effectively shared or understood.

And that’s how I found my new research direction: I could explore how Scottish universities are communicating their Net Zero practices, and whether those communication strategies are working. This way, I can still focus on sustainability, but also bring in my journalism background and look at the important role of communication in driving sustainable change.

By researching how these messages are shared (or not shared), I can avoid the technical challenges I faced before, and maybe even suggest ways to make these efforts more visible and impactful. After all, even the best sustainability initiatives need good communication to truly make a difference. And that’s something I believe I can contribute to.

Finding the Problem & Getting Inspired: The Challenge of Communicating University Sustainability Efforts / Yunyi Yang / Future Infrastructure, Climate Change and Sustainability: KIPP & Futures Project (2024-25) by is licensed under a