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Putting sustainable development in practice: Campus greening as a tool for institutional sustainability efforts

Authors: Leal Filho, W., Shiel, C., do Paço, A. and Brandli, L.

Pages: 1-19

DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-08-100367-1.00001-9

Abstract:

Campus greening is an important element in implementing sustainability at the university level. It is not a new issue and has been practiced for decades. However, recent developments powered partly by concerns over issues such as global warming-and also the costs associated with universities' operations-have catalyzed new thinking about infrastructure development, research programs, investment decisions, and learning regarding the green campus. Since the 1970s, students and staff have been participating, in varying amounts, in greening campus processes. Their efforts have focused primarily on areas such as increased recycling, waste reduction, water conservation, and purchasing (e.g., recycled paper). Others have included issues such as sustainable transport or sustainable energy use. These actions have both served the purpose of allowing money and resources to be saved, and also motivated wider community engagement in the sustainability of campus operations as a whole. Although many higher education institutions across the world are engaging in campus greening initiatives, it is as yet unclear how campus greening can be used as tool toward institutional sustainability efforts. This chapter fills in the gap with respect to scientific works focusing on campus greening programs on the one hand, but with a focus on the role of institutionalized approaches on the other. This chapter provides examples of good practice of campus greening, and assesses what may be necessary to encourage higher education institutions to move beyond campus greening at the institutional level toward a more holistic approach to sustainability.

Source: Scopus

Putting Sustainable Development in Practice: Campus Greening as a Tool for Institutional Sustainability Efforts

Authors: Shiel, C., Leal Filho, W. and do Paço, A.

Pages: 1-19

Publisher: Shandos Publishing

Place of Publication: Kiddlington, UK

Abstract:

Campus greening is not a new issue and has been practiced for decades. However, recent developments partly powered by concerns on issues such as global warming - and also the costs associated with universities’ operations - have catalysed new thinking about infrastructure development, research programmes, investment decisions and learning regarding the green campus. Since the 1970s students and staff have been participating, to a lesser or to a greater extent, in greening campus processes. Their efforts have focused primarily on areas such as increased recycling, waste reduction, water conservation, and purchasing (e.g. recycled paper). Others have included issues such as sustainable transport or sustainable energy use. These actions have both served the purpose of allowing money and resources to be saved, and motivated wider community engagement in the sustainability of campus operations as a whole. But despite the fact that many higher education institutions across the world are engaging in campus greening initiatives, it is unclear how campus greening can be used as tool towards institutional sustainability efforts. This paper will fill in a gap in respect of scientific works focusing on campus greening programmes on the one hand, but with a focus on the role of institutionalised approaches on the other. Examples of good practice of campus greening will be presented, and an assessment of what may be necessary to encourage higher education institutions to move beyond campus greening at the institutional level towards a more holistic approach to sustainability.

Source: Manual

Preferred by: Chris Shiel