Factors contributing to institutions achieving environmental sustainability

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to determine what factors contributed to three universities achieving environmental sustainability. Design/methodology/approach -A case study methodology was used to determine how each factor contributed to the institutions' sustainability. Site visits, fieldwork, document reviews, and interviews with administration, faculty, staff, and students from the participating institutions were employed as primary data collection strategies. Findings -The six factors identified in the literature as contributing to environmental sustainability were present at all three institutions: green campus operation measures; campus administration, organization, and leadership; teaching, research, and service; campus-wide actions and activities; institutional assessment of campus sustainability measures; and established methods for overcoming barriers.Research limitations/implications -This study was delimited to the six factors that were identified in the literature and the three institutions that participated in this study. The research will add to the literature on creating sustainable campuses and will also provide a foundation for further study on the progress and impact of campus sustainability efforts. Originality/value -A number of individual case studies have described what certain institutions have done. A smaller number of case studies have identified what factors have contributed to certain institutions' achieved environmental sustainability.

What lies beneath the surface? The hidden complexities of organizational change for sustainability in higher education

“…(James and Card, 2012) Early on in our campus greening efforts, it was recognized how important it is to maintain participation by persons throughout the university and the importance of having a champion at the administrative level who could provide, when needed, both financial resources and public statements calling for examples of leadership.…”

Greening the Ivory Tower: A Review of Educational Research on Sustainability in Post-Secondary Education

“…In the broader reviewed research articles, the necessity of strong communication and leadership to initiate, maintain and drive sustainable operational policy was stressed repeatedly. For example, a study by James and Card [33] points to the necessity for strong leadership as a precursor to the uptake of operational initiatives on sustainability in their comparison of three university campuses in the United States. Other research suggests that faculty and staff leaders tend to have a more significant role in the long-term implementation of operational initiatives around sustainability within institutions, though collaboration with administrators is still crucial for clearing initial hurdles in adopting operational policy [34].…”

Students’ Assessment of Campus Sustainability at the University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia

“…The consequences of rapid and low-density urban growth that Saudi Arabia is experiencing is increasing demand for shelter, energy, and means of livelihood, which calls for the need for sustainable urban development that would not only be harmonious but advances energy efficiency, waste reduction, and intergenerational equity and minimizes natural resource depletion, environmental pollution, and degradation of ecosystem [35]. Hence, one of the ways of achieving environmental sustainability of cities and regions in the country is by integrating sustainability learning opportunities across all higher education subject areas, so that students can be better equipped to deal with sustainability issues in all aspects of life and participate in practices that have widespread influence on global-local futures [36,37]. However, the task of integrating sustainability into HEIs will not succeed without involving the students.…”