Green Universities
Friday, March 09, 2012 at 12am
Written by Laura Bridgestock
Find out what universities are doing to become more sustainable, and how you can get involved in
environmental issues as a student.
If you look at the QS World University Rankings
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2011/12, you’ll see that the University of Cambridge is
ranked the number one university not just in the UK, but in the world. Yet according to another ranking,
Cambridge is at number 68 – just in the UK.
That’s according to the Green League compiled by People and Planet (P&P), a coalition of UK students
dedicated to holding universities to account on environmental and ethical issues. Green university
rankings are growing in prominence, as both students and universities place more importance on
environmental responsibility.
What difference can ‘green’ universities make to the environment?
Nowadays, everyone’s pretty clued up on what can be done to help build a more sustainable and
environmentally friendly society. On a personal level, we know we should recycle, limit our energy use
and do our best to buy products with low ‘carbon footprints’, from sustainable sources.
Nowadays, everyone’s pretty clued up on what can be done to help build a more sustainable and
environmentally friendly society. On a personal level, we know we should recycle, limit our energy use
and do our best to buy products with low ‘carbon footprints’, from sustainable sources.
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In turn, we expect businesses and other organizations to do their bit. Most now have sustainability
policies, packed with terms such as ‘life cycle analysis’, ‘holistic management’ and ‘integrated bottom
lines’.
Universities are no exception, and like everyone else are becoming increasingly proactive on green
issues.
In 2010, there were 84 new solar energy installations at US campuses, according to the Association for
the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). In the same period AASHE reported 29
completed or ongoing campus energy overhauls in the US, each creating a potential US$50 million in
savings over the next 10 years.
Niles Barnes, AASHE project coordinator, says hundreds of universities have signed up to meeting
commitments on energy use and greenhouse gases, and that many are also introducing sustainability
into the teaching curriculum – offering both dedicated courses and individual modules.
However, Barnes says there is still considerable progress to be made, particularly in the area of
sustainable purchasing. “Higher education institutions spend tens of billions of dollars annually on an
extraordinary range of products and services. When sustainability criteria are incorporated into
procurement decisions, it can drive the innovation of sustainable products and services in a profound
way.”
He adds, however, that education and outreach schemes are equally important – a point which is
echoed by Louise Hazan, P&P campaigns and communications manager for climate change.
P&P believes that around 80% of a university’s carbon footprint is related to the behaviour of staff and
students – how they use energy, travel, what they consume and so on. In addition, as Hazan points out,
“behaviour and values learnt at university have a long-lasting impact on graduates throughout their
lives”.
So, while carbon reduction, renewable energy and recycling schemes are all important, getting the entire
university community on board is absolutely essential.
What are ‘green’ universities doing to become more sustainable?
Many universities are recognizing these demands, and are investing in greener buildings, greener
practices and products, and ways of engaging staff and students. Below are just a handful of examples
of green university initiatives:
• Sustainable building design
The University of Texas at Dallas, US, has won multiple awards for its student services building, which is
designed to stay naturally cool and light, cutting down on energy used for air conditioning and lighting.
• Renewable energy
The ‘Green Lighthouse’ building at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, generates its own energy
from solar cells and panels, storing excess energy underground. Meanwhile Green Mountain College in
Vermont, US, is participating in a local ‘cow power’ scheme. This delivers energy generated by burning
methane from, you guessed it, cow dung.
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• Water bottle re-use
At some campuses the installation of ‘hydration stations’ – basically taps in the wall – makes it easy to
refill and re-use water bottles. The idea is to cut down on packaging waste and carbon emissions from
transportation. In some cases the sale of bottled water is actually banned on campus.
• Locally produced food
Canada’s University of Northern British Columbia has taken its support of local food producers to a new
level by hosting a weekly farmers’ market on campus. Others, such as the University of Canterbury, New
Zealand, have on-site community gardens where students can grow their own organic produce.
• Waste disposal
The University of Lausanne, Switzerland, disposes of food waste by sending it to a nearby farm, where it
is used to produce organic fertilizers and also biogas fuel, generating heat and electricity for the farm
and neighbouring community. At the University of Peru, paper waste is sold to a recycling company, with
the proceeds providing scholarships for students from low-income backgrounds.
• Green transport
Many campuses operate cycle hire or loan schemes. At Duke University in the US, for example, students
can borrow bikes free of charge, using their student cards, and also bring in their own bikes for free
repairs. At the University of Oslo, Norway, staff and students can use recharging stations for electric cars
without charge, to promote this greener mode of travel.
• Awareness-raising events
P&P says 65% of UK universities now hold some kind of Environment or ‘Go Green’ week. Interuniversity collaborations and competitions are also growing in popularity; in North America, universities
compete in challenges such as ‘RecycleMania’ and ‘Do it in the Dark’, to recycle the most or save the
most energy in a set period of time.
How can students get involved in green university initiatives?
The role of students in helping to establish more environmentally friendly universities cannot be
underestimated. In many cases, students are the main drivers and developers of a project.
For example, students at India’s College of Engineering, Attingal, took the initiative in turning five acres
of barren campus land into a thriving allotment, which is now providing organic vegetables for both
students and the local community.
At the University of Sussex in the UK, students have established a ‘freecycling’ shop. Run by volunteers,
this is a place where students can donate any unwanted items, and in turn find things they need – such
as clothes, books and cooking equipment. So unwanted items get reused instead of going to a landfill
site, energy used to make and transport new products is reduced, and students save money: wins all
round.
Similarly, at the University of Victoria in Canada, students run a scheme to fix up old bikes and lend them
out free of charge, along with some training in safe commuter cycling.
At the University of Tokyo, Japan, the same is done with second-hand laptops.
The list goes on, and even where students are not able to fully implement or fund projects, their ideas
and campaigns play a huge role in influencing the decisions made by university departments. AASHE’s
Niles Barnes says many universities cite pressure from students as a major factor in deciding to sign up
to environmental commitments.
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So, if you’re keen to make a difference to the world, there’s no need to wait until you graduate. And what
better place to start your green crusade than with the campus where you’ll be spending the next three or
more years?
Source: http://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/choosing-university/green-universities, 18 July 2015.
Note:
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Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a British company specializing in education and study abroad. The
company was founded in 1990 by Nunzio Quacquarelli. Today, QS has over 250 employees and
operates globally from offices in London (head office in Hampstead, North London) and in different cities
around the world.
QS has published various university rankings. At first, it had cooperated with the Times Higher
Education to release annual world university rankings, the THE-QS World University Rankings, since
2004 and was the data provider of the rankings. However, it ended its partnership with Times after the
release of their 2009 rankings and both have worked out their own rankings afterward with QS using the
same methodology while Times which has then cooperated with Thomson Reuters using an adjusted
one. Now, the rankings published by QS are known as the QS World University Rankings.
(From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QS_World_University_Rankings)