The role of green and Sustainability Offices in fostering sustainability efforts at higher education institutions

Filho, Walter Leal; Will, Markus; Salvia, Amanda Lange; Adomßent, Maik; Grahl, Anselm; Spira, Felix

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.273

Cited by 78 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Attitudes and behavior when talking about Sustainability in HEIs have been studied in different disciplines, contexts, and involving different stakeholders (e.g., [15,[37][38][39][40]).…”

Section: Sustainability Attitudes and Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Examples of previous studies that tried to understand attitudes and behavior in the context of sustainability in HEIs were performed in lecturers/researchers [15,38] and students [37,39,43]. The previously mentioned group, i.e., students, developed scales to better understand attitude [44], including scales specific to areas of study.…”

Section: Sustainability Attitudes and Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

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Do Spanish Students Become More Sustainable after the Implementation of Sustainable Practices by Universities?

et al. 2020

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Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are a critical component to develop and promote sustainable solutions for both society and the planet. A challenge to HEIs is to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to achieve Sustainable Development (SD), as they are important stakeholders. In order for a person to take responsibility for a sustainable future, it is not only important to implement SDs in higher education, but to follow the progress of the individuals’ awareness of the sustainable world and lifestyle. This study aimed to analyze students of Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), focusing on their attitudes, behaviors, and level of knowledge concerning education for sustainable development (ESD), to better understand the situation of students in terms of learning and applying sustainability. The students’ perception of the University practices and initiatives, as well as pedagogical methodologies for promoting and learning SD, were also examined. An online survey was applied to undergraduate students from several faculties at UAM, and a sample of 504 students returned from a total population of 30,000 students. Descriptive and inferential analyses were carried out and included Chi-square tests, correlation analyses, and ANOVA analyses for independent and repeated measures. The results reveal good levels for the three dimensions (global Index > 3.5), with consistency demonstrating the highest correlation between attitudes and behaviors, although differences between faculties were identified. Knowledge has the highest score among all faculties. In addition, the results point to a need to better communicate the initiatives promoted, as well as to realign some learning methodologies with students’ preferences. The most important contributions of the paper are as follows: Shedding fresh light on the knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral dispositions of university students and improving strategies concerning education in higher education institutions. Furthermore, it is relevant to say that UAM has pushed sustainability in environmental management and education, so it is also important to assess the impact of these initiatives. Our research aimed to help understand how students incorporate sustainability into their attitudes and behaviors, and whether this incorporation depends on the type of faculty. It also makes it possible to verify whether the sustainability measures implemented by universities are identified and applied by their students.

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“…Attitudes and behavior when talking about Sustainability in HEIs have been studied in different disciplines, contexts, and involving different stakeholders (e.g., [15,[37][38][39][40]).…”

Section: Sustainability Attitudes and Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sustainability Attitudes and Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Spanish Students Become More Sustainable after the Implementation of Sustainable Practices by Universities?

et al. 2020

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“…Sustainability offices at universities coordinate the institution's efforts in sustainable development and foster awareness among students and staff of the importance of this goal. Nevertheless, the existence of sustainability offices is not as common as it should be, and they encounter key obstacles such as the lack of specific funding and the lack of support from administrations [42].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Impact of Mobility in Higher-Education Institutions: The Case of the Ecological Footprint at the University of A Coruña (Spain)

2021

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Ecological footprint (EF) determines the area of ecologically productive territory necessary to produce the resources utilised and to assimilate the waste produced by a given population over a year. Knowing your own EF is the first step in planning and implementing policies to reduce it. Considering that transport is a significant component of the impact of human activity on the environment, this study calculates the EF of the CO2 emissions associated with person mobility (EFM) at the University of A Coruña (UDC). The results presented are based on statistical inference from surveys conducted in 2008, 2016, and 2020. The period 2008–2016 coincides with the effects of the economic crisis, and 2020 with those of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EFM of UDC in 2016 was 2177 global hectares (gha), 148 times its biocapacity. Ninety-two percent of it was generated by car trips. Policies to reduce the environmental impact of mobility should focus on reducing car use. This study analyzes various factors of variability. The EFM per capita of the commutes from the place of residence to the UDC campuses grew between 2008 and 2020 by 17%. The results obtained are compared with those of other nearby universities and around the world.

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“…In the second edition of this ranking, 768 universities from 85 countries were evaluated, and the results were measured in three areas: research, outreach, and stewardship [ 62 ]. The role of sustainability offices or green offices needs to be strengthened to promote change in universities [ 14 , 63 ]. Recent work has pointed out the lack of funds, the lack of support from the administration [ 63 ], and the lack of interest from students and staff as possible barriers for these institutions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… The role of sustainability offices or green offices needs to be strengthened to promote change in universities [ 14 , 63 ]. Recent work has pointed out the lack of funds, the lack of support from the administration [ 63 ], and the lack of interest from students and staff as possible barriers for these institutions. In this respect, the incorporation of green offices that are led by students will promote the construction of a more sustainable university.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Interurban Mobility in University Students: Motivation and Ecological Impact

Cruz-Rodríguez

Sendra

Heras

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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The management of mobility in large cities is a complex issue of great interest due to its economic, social, and environmental impact. In this work, the interurban mobility of engineering students from two campuses of the University of Seville is studied. Specifically, this work carries out an analysis of the preferences of students in terms of mobility to their study centres and determines the environmental impact of such mobility in terms of kg of CO2 per student. Three constructs can be found to describe the motivation for their choice of transport: those related to comfort and speed, those related to sustainability and price, and those related to safety. Based on the responses obtained, groups of students are established that enable the design of specific actions in accordance with each of the profiles. From the analysis of the results obtained, recommendations are made for policymakers, and a reflection is given on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this issue.

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The role of green and Sustainability Offices in fostering sustainability efforts at higher education institutions

Abstract: Felix (2019)The role of green and Sustainability Offices in fostering sustainability efforts at higher education institutions.

Cited by 78 publications

References 34 publications

Do Spanish Students Become More Sustainable after the Implementation of Sustainable Practices by Universities?

Do Spanish Students Become More Sustainable after the Implementation of Sustainable Practices by Universities?

Environmental Impact of Mobility in Higher-Education Institutions: The Case of the Ecological Footprint at the University of A Coruña (Spain)

Analysis of Interurban Mobility in University Students: Motivation and Ecological Impact

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