Best Green University Practice 

Maryam Faghihimani

Higher Education & Environmental Sustainability  

04 May 2011

Objectives:

Assessing the commitment of universities to environmental sustainability in various functions of institutions in order to provide an outline for UiO to measure :

How Green it has been so far?

What is the next step?

Environmental Sustainability (ES)• Environmental sustainability (ES) is the process of creating a pattern for human interaction with the environment in order to satisfy the needs of current generation without neglecting the future generation needs. 

Steps:

Identify the Problem

Identify other Universities with Similar Process 

Identify Remarkable Examples

Survey the Universities to Assess Environmental Sustainability (ES) Commitments 

Identify the Best Green Practice

Implement the Best Green Practice

Identify the Problem

What does it mean to be an Environmentally Sustainable university?

How Green has UiO been so far?

How to measure Environmental Sustainability commitment?

What is the next step?  

An Environmentally Sustainable University

Identify other Universities with Similar Process & look for Remarkable Examples

10 Top Universities according to THE‐WUR 2009: UiO aims to be center of excellence

Universities with the same bibliometric status as UiO

Remarkably Green Universities

Other Norwegian Research Universities

10 Top Universities THEUWR 2009

1. Harvard University2. Cambridge University3. Yale University4. UCL (University College London)5. Imperial College London6. Oxford University7. Chicago University8. Princeton University9. MIT ( Massachusetts Institute of Technology)10. CALTECH (California Institute of Technology)

Identify other Universities with Similar Process & look for Remarkable Examples

10 Top Universities according to THE‐WUR 2009: UiO aims to be center of excellence

Universities with the same bibliometric status as UiO

Remarkably Green Universities

Other Norwegian Research Universities

Universities with the same bibliometric status as UiO

11. Australian National University (THE Ranking: 17)

12. University of Tokyo (THE Ranking: 22)

13. Bristol University (THE Ranking: 34)

14. University of Copenhagen (THE Ranking: 51)

Identify other Universities with Similar Process & look for Remarkable Examples

10 Top Universities according to THE‐WUR 2009: UiO aims to be center of excellence

Universities with the same bibliometric status as UiO

Remarkably Green Universities

Other Norwegian Research Universities

Remarkably Green Universities

13.British Colombia University (THE Ranking :40)

14.Gothenburg University (THE Ranking: 185)

15.Bradford University (N/A) (THE: 'Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development Award 2010' over 1200 universities)

Identify other Universities with Similar Process & look for Remarkable Examples

10 Top Universities according to THE‐WUR 2009: UiO aims to be center of excellence

Universities with the same bibliometric status as UiO

Remarkably Green Universities

Other Norwegian Research Universities

Norwegian Universities

13.University of Bergen (UiB) (THE Ranking: 144)

14.Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) (N/A)

15.Norwegian University of Life Science (UMB) (N/A)

* UiO is 101st in THE Ranking 2009

Common Principles of Sustainability in Higher Education Declaration

Survey Universities to Assess ES Commitments 

Methodology:Content analyzing of 20 universities around the worldData was collected from English website of Universities from June to August 201050 indicators were designed based on Declarations, universities function model and previous assessment tools (i.e.The Luneburg Sustainable University Project by Bringer.A , 2007)

No interval scale

Governance and Administration Curriculum & Study opportunity

Research Operation Other related activities

Staff position / Sustainability office

Undergraduate study in Environmental Sustainability

Research Centre / Institute Energy Conferences

Policies / Principles/ Strategy Postgraduate study in Environmental Sustainability

Internal Grant Opportunity Carbon emission Students group

Institutional declaration/ Resolutions

Doctoral studies in Environmental Sustainability

External Funding Waste Recycling Events (except conferences)

Strategic approach/ Action plan Environmental Sustainability Education

Research Collaboration withIndustry & Corporate

Building Community Projects

Internal Awards Multidisciplinary Sustainability Education

Journal Purchasing University- Community Partnership

Annual Sustainability Reports Service Learning Communication within Research Centres

Water Website of Sustainability centre/activities

Students levy Student Research Other research Activities Food & Dining Media/ News from Sustainability of University

Audits Climate Change Climate Change Paper External Awards and Recognition

Housing Campus tour & FlyersSustainability Management System

Raising Awareness/ Culture Change

Implementing Innovation & Technology

Visibility of Sustainability of University on the website

ConservationTransportationFair tradeChemical Material Concern Lead/ Pesticide/ DetergentGreen Lab

Table of Indicators

Indicators Classification

1. Governance & Administration

2. Curriculum & Study Opportunities

3. Research & Innovations

4. Operation:

Technical Practice

Other Related Activities

Governance & Administration

Education  

ES Program

• Undergraduate• Postgraduate• PhD • Climate Change Program

• ES Courses• ES Multi Disciplinary 

• Service  learning

• Student Research

ResearchResearch Centre / Institute

Internal Grant Opportunity

External Funding

Research Collaboration with Industry & Corporate

Journal 

Communication within Research Centres

Climate Change

Technical Operation

‐SustainabilityManagement 

Syatem

‐ ImplementingInnovation & Technology

‐CarbonEmission

‐Transportation

‐Energy

‐Water

‐Conservation

‐Purchasing

‐Food & Dining

‐Fair Trdae

‐Building

‐Housing

‐Green Lab

‐WasteRecycling

‐Paper

‐ChemicalMaterial

Conferences

Events

Website for Sustainability

Visibility of Sustainability on University Frontpage

Students Group

Campus Tour/ Flyer

Media/ News 

Raising Awareness/ Culture Change

University‐CommunityPartnership

Community Outreach

External Award

RelatedActivities

Identify Best Green PracticeChart 1: Universities’ Commitment to 50 Indicators of

Environmental Sustainability

48 48 48 47 47 47 46 46 46 45 4543 43 42 41

37

3230

26

18

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

MIT Gothenburg UBC Harvard Cambridge Yale UCL

Princeton Copenhagen Bristol Bradford ICL Chicago ANU

CALTECH Oxford NTNU UMB Tokyo UIB

1819

2018

15

18

1312

Governance / Administration

Chart 2: Commitment of Universities to Environmental Sustainability in Governance Function

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

20 20 20

13

17

13

20

11

Chart 3: Curriculum & Study Opportunity in Regard with Environmental Sustainability

20

14

18 18

6

18 18

0

5

10

15

20

25

Research / Innovation

Chart 4: Commitment of Universities to Environmental Sustainability in Research Function

02468101214161820

20 20 2019 19

17

12

18

11

1618 18

17

1315

17

Chart 5: Universities Commitment to Environmental Sustainability in Operational function

1917

1816

13

1614

18

12

16 16

Other Practice

Chart 6: Universities Commitment to Environmental Sustainability in Other Related Practice / Activities

Comparing UiO Commitment to ES in 2010 with plans for 2011(Numbers of indicators out of 50)

Implement the Best Green Practice

UiO Commitment to ES 2010  UiO Commitment to ES 2011 

20

33

UiO Commitment to ES out of 50 Indicators

UiO 2010

UiO2011

Indicators

Governance/Administration (8)

Curriculum/ Study  opportunity (8)

Research/ Innovation (7)

Operation (16) Other Activities (11)

UiO 2010 2 4 4 6 4

UiO2011 6 5 4 9 9

UiO Commitment to ES 2010/2011  

Thanks for Your AttentionFor more Information and References, Please Contact Green UiO Office

www.greenmatterswales.com