Towards a sustainable campus: working together to achieve the green campus flag on the UDC peripheral campus of Ferrol
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
ISSN: 1467-6370
Article publication date: 24 November 2020
Issue publication date: 11 December 2020
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present and describe the main actions carried out in six different faculties and common areas such as cultural and research centres and administrative buildings in the Ferrol campus at the University of A Coruña to achieve the second green flag on a Galician University.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study describing the steps for implementing a green campus programme in a medium-size, young university campus integrated into a small city. An Environmental Campus Committee was created to assess the main factors that affect environmental footprint, discuss sustainability initiatives and develop a guide to action regarding different goals related to sustainable transport options, energy, water conservation and waste reduction. The actions included several fields such as education, circular economy and healthy life and involved the on and off-campus community.
Findings
The programme achieved a decrease in water consumption and electrical energy. An important change in educational values and behaviours regarding sustainability was observed in and out of the campus community. The measurements adopted mainly in waste management, mobility and education led the Ferrol campus to achieve a green campus flag on November 2019.
Originality/value
This experiment can serve as a guide to establish the Green Campus philosophy in other similar university campuses.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors of this article want to thank the finantial and institutional support of Environmental Office of University of A Coruña to develop talks, activities and to implement different actions in Ferrol Campus. The authors of this article want to thank the finantial and institutional support of Vicerrectorado del Campus de Ferrol y Responsabilidad Social of University of A Coruña to achieve the Green Flag. Ana Ares-Pernas wants to thank the financial support of Vicerrectorado de Planificación Académica e Innovación Docente of University of A Coruña obtained in the I Edition of the Prizes for Teaching Innovation Projects in Service-Learning to develop Service-Learning activities.
Citation
Ares-Pernas, A., Carvajal, C.C., Gomis Rodríguez, A., Fernández Ibáñez, M.I., Díaz Casás, V., Zaragoza Fernández, M.S., Bouza Fernández, M.S., Santos Pita, M.d.P., García Allut, A.D., Comesaña Pérez, M.P., Caínzos López, M.J., Feal Cabezón, B. and Torres Miño, A. (2020), "Towards a sustainable campus: working together to achieve the green campus flag on the UDC peripheral campus of Ferrol", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 21 No. 7, pp. 1367-1390. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2020-0056
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited