RENEW and the NEWS: Green Universities

Green Universities

This month, RENEW is reading about sustainability on college campuses. While the COVID-19 pandemic is putting a strain on colleges, sustainability goals have not been forgotten or abandoned. The effects of COVID-19 on sustainability will not be fully known for years to come. However, it remains true that the challenges of climate change are not going away and that universities are leaders in education about research and reduction of climate emissions and their impacts.

The sustainability movement is a worldwide phenomenon that is being led in many countries by students. Around half of the universities in the United Kingdom decided to move away from fossil fuels last January. The University College London, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Nottingham, and the University of Gloucestershire are just some examp­­les of universities with sustainability programs. Projects include expanding environmental education and initiatives to increase their sustainability. According to Fiona Goodwin, who is the director of the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC), schools can implement environmentally friendly practices, the resources to educate and involve students in the work, and the duty to utilize these to become a role model for others to follow. In 2019, the National Union of Students (NUS) founded the Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK) in order to push universities to reduce their carbon levels and update their goals. The president of the NUS and SOS-UK, Zamzam Ibrahim, stated, “We need all universities to be committing to net-zero by 2030 right now. Sadly, many vice-chancellors still see sustainability as a nice-to-have, not core business…”.

In the United States, universities are also focused on increasing sustainability and “going green.” Many campuses are planting gardens to have fresh food for the dining halls while involving the students to take care of the farms. Other initiatives include increased environmental curricular offerings, which many students and professors are eager to expand and introduce at their college or university. Two significant organizations, the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), were founded to increase campus sustainability and the number of environmental classes offered. Both organizations partner with other organizations and work with hundreds of colleges and universities. The AASHE has a special program, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) which sets a standard for university environmental reporting. As of October 2020, there are 1,010 institutions that signed up with STARS and 669 have a rating. STARS works with the universities to complete the reports and ratings based on their guidelines. Some of these schools include Emerson College and Houghton College (a RENEW customer). Many universities have uploaded their reports earlier in 2020. Other organizations, including The SIERRA Club have used the STARS ratings to rank schools based on sustainability.

One notable school that is at the top of such rankings is the University of California, Irvine. They published their University of California Sustainable Practices Policy this year and have numerous initiatives currently in place. UCI notes their “…perseverance to achieve sustainable progress in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Notable practices include energy efficiency, waste diversion, water projects, food options, programs for students, biking, and sustainable student housing, among many others.

In 2019, Boston University published their Sustainability Annual Report, which explains their plans to increase sustainability. BU has partnerships with the City of Boston and other universities as well. The initiatives cross a broad range of practices at BU including waste, transportation, and buildings, just to name a few. While BU has a Zero Waste goal, the Coronavirus pandemic has complicated that project. In the student newspaper, The Daily Free Press, a student published an article about the use of to-go containers in relation to the waste initiative. During the pandemic, BU is having students order food from the dining halls to be picked up in to-go boxes, but “…while all meals are packaged in containers made of either plant-based or recyclable materials, the plant material renders some unrecyclable.” In addition, BU has issued instructions for students and staff to follow for how to dispose of food and containers. While this is just an example of an issue arising at a university due to COVID-19, all universities are facing dilemmas between pandemic rules and budgeting with the continuing challenges of addressing climate change. Even though managing the virus is the main priority for campuses, the environment should also remain at the top of the list because global warming does not go away during a pandemic.

Universities are just another sector that is setting and following environmental sustainability goals. Universities hold an important role because they are significant players in society and the students have an impact on the campus and the world at large.