The UW Rector’s Team for Ecology and the Climate Change has recommended the use of lighting fixtures with a warm colour temperature not exceeding 2700 K in the University of Warsaw’s outdoor areas. This is the result of the work carried out by the working group on light pollution.

“The University of Warsaw is consistently developing initiatives aimed at sustainable development, environmental protection and improving the quality of life for the academic community, whilst taking into account the need to increase energy efficiency and ensure responsible infrastructure management. In this context, mitigating the negative effects of light pollution – which impacts both the functioning of ecosystems as well as human health, and also leads to inefficient energy use and increased operating costs,” writes Prof. Ewa Krogulec, the UW Vice-Rector for Development and Chair of the Rector’s Team for Ecology and the Climate Change, in a letter to the heads and administrative directors of the university’s organisational units.

Artificial light pollution is a civilisational challenge of the 21st century. It threatens human health and life, but also the entire ecosystem. For instance, it causes melatonin deficiency and disrupts the circadian rhythms of animals and plant growth. It is also an economic problem.

Mitigating the effects of light pollution was the focus of the working group on light pollution, operating within the Rector’s Team for Ecology and the Climate Change and led by Dr Aleksander Jakubowski from the UW’s Faculty of Law and Administration. Based on a scientific analysis of the impact of artificial lighting on the environment and the conditions in which the academic community operates, as well as a review of the current legal framework, the Group recommended the use of lighting fixtures with a warm colour temperature not exceeding 2700 K in the University’s outdoor spaces.

“We recommend taking this solution into account when designing new lighting installations, purchasing lighting equipment, and modernising existing systems, whilst also implementing measures to improve energy efficiency (e.g. automatic switch-off of lights in the absence of movement). These solutions also bring tangible operational benefits – they help to reduce energy consumption, better tailor lighting to actual needs, and plan infrastructure maintenance more efficiently. They also help to improve the comfort of using spaces and limit the negative impact of light on human health and the environment,” the letter states.