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An environmental management system implementation model for U.S. colleges and universities
Abstract
The Osnabruck model, and another under development by the South Carolina Sustainable Universities Initiative, are the only two EMS models that have been proposed specifically for colleges and universities, although several guides are now available. The Environmental Management System Implementation Model for U.S. Colleges and Universities detailed in this paper, an adaptation of the ISO 14001 standard and USEPA recommendations, has been tailored to U.S. colleges and universities for use in streamlining the implementation process. In using this three-phased implementation model created for the U.S. research and academic setting, it is hoped that these highly specialized institutions will be provided with a clearer and more cost-effective path towards the implementation of an EMS and greater compliance with local, state and federal environmental legislation.
... Проект реконструкции Калифорнийской академии наук (California Academy of Sciences) на западе США был разработан архитектором Ренцо Пьяно (Италия). Здание соответствует стандартам системы LEED [12]. Его архитектурно-экологической особенностью является «зеленая» крыша площадью более 10 тыс. ...
In this work, we investigate best foreign practices in establishing contemporary university campuses in terms of their architectural and environmental formation. For this purpose, we adopted a systematic approach to the study of information resources, including regulatory documentation. S.G. Shabiev conducted a field survey of existing university campuses in Australia, Canada, China and other countries, as well as a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of the implemented architectural and environmental techniques. The study analyzed the campuses in terms of planning restrictions, urban planning conditions and climatic characteristics. In addition, the architectural and environmental features of each site under study were identified: inverted roofs in operation, low emissivity facade glazing, photocells, as well as landscape systems with microclimate-friendly vertical or inner gardens. The most effective techniques for architectural and ecological formation of university campuses were compiled into a coherent methodological framework that can be used when developing concepts for such facilities. Best foreign practices in the design and implementation of contemporary university campuses were studied. The methodological framework for architectural and environmental formation was obtained. We also explored the potential for using the obtained results in developing an architectural concept design for the international campus of South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
... Furthermore, sustainability is also a core element embedded in university campus operations. Many universities have adopted certain environmental practices and management systems to reduce their negative impacts (externalities) on the natural environment and society [21,22]. In this context, many universities have made an effort to measure their carbon footprint and adopt zero carbon practices [23][24][25]. ...
Universities are aware of the imperative of sustainability and are focusing on promoting the aims and principles of sustainable development, such as greening their curriculum, enhancing the environmental performance of their campus and using sustainable criteria in their investment and purchasing behavior. Also, the scope of sustainable development was broadened by the introduction of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda which stipulates new directions for sustainability at a global level. Given this background, this paper examines the level of alignment of universities with the 17 SDGs through an analysis of sustainability reports prepared by universities, in order to highlight the issues which are mostly discussed by universities in relation to SDGs. To do so, an empirical analysis was carried out on a sample of 37 sustainability reports using a methodological framework based on scoring techniques to analyze their content. The findings show that the universities have disclosed more information about climate change mitigation and adaptation practices and less about SDGs regarding quality of education and peace, democracy and strong institutions.
... Furthermore, the environmental ranking at the country level strengthens the positive impact of sustainability on the academic performance of universities. This is corroborated by some studies (ATICI, 2020;JABBOUR et al., 2013;SAVELY et al., 2007). Thus, it is suggested that the country invest more in quality of education, whether in adult literacy and in the levels of schooling of the population in general and improve sustainability at the country level, since, as we have seen, these indicators impact on the quality of universities. ...
Global university rankings are important indicators that measure the ability of universities to positively impact society. This study aimed to analyze the determining factors in the academic performance and sustainability of universities across participating continents in THE Ranking. Regarding the methodology, it is classified as a descriptive, quantitative study that considered the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the sustainability level of the countries where the universities are in the analysis of academic performance. This performance was measured through the World University Rankings by Times Higher Education (THE). The main findings are as follows: a strong relationship was found between country-level characteristics such as GDP, HDI, and the scores in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, suggesting that the characteristics of the country influence the performance and sustainability level of each university. Similarly, research and teaching groups have the most impact on the overall score of the top university.
... Outrossim, a classificação ambiental em nível de país fortalece o impacto positivo da sustentabilidade no desempenho acadêmico das universidades. Isto é corroborado por alguns estudos (ATICI; YASAYACAK; YILDIZ; ULUCAN, 2020;PEREIRA, et al., 2014;SAVELY et al., 2007). Desta maneira, sugestiona-se que o país invista mais em qualidade da educação, seja na alfabetização de adultos e nos níveis de escolarização da população em geral e melhore a sustentabilidade em nível de país, visto que, como já vimos, estes indicadores impactam na qualidade das universidades. ...
Resumo Rankings universitários globais são importantes indicadores, que medem a capacidade das universidades de impactar a sociedade positivamente. Neste estudo, teve como objetivo analisar os fatores determinantes no desempenho acadêmico e de sustentabilidade das universidades por continentes participantes do Ranking THE. Quanto ao método, classifica-se como um estudo de descritivo, quantitativo, que considerou para análises o Produto Interno Bruto, e o nível de Sustentabilidade dos países em que as universidades se situam - no desempenho acadêmico das Universidades, mensurado por meio do ranking World University da Times Higher Education (THE). Como principais resultados, destacam-se: verificou-se uma forte relação entre as características em nível de país como PIB, IDH e a Pontuação no World University Rankings do Times Higher Education, o que sugere que as características do país influenciam no desempenho e no nível de sustentabilidade de cada universidade. Do mesmo modo, os grupos pesquisa e ensino são os mais impactantes a Pontuação Geral de melhor universidade.
... Sustainability is also a core element embedded in university campus operations. Many universities have adopted certain environmental practices and management systems to reduce their negative impacts (externalities) on the natural environment and society (Arvidsson, 2004;Savely et al., 2007). In this context, many universities have made an effort to measure their carbon footprint and adopt zero carbon practices (Larsen et al., 2013;Robinson et al., 2018;Charalampides et al., 2014). ...
Many universities have recently adopted various practices to promote the aims and principles of sustainable development, such as greening their curriculum, enhancing the environmental performance of their campus and using sustainable criteria in their investment and purchasing behavior. Relatively recently, the definition of the sustainable development was broadened by the introduction of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda which stipulates the new directions for sustainability at global level. Given this background, this paper examines the level of alignment of universities with the 17 SDGs through an analysis of sustainability reports prepared by universities in order to highlight the issues which are mostly discussed by universities in relation to SDGs. To do so, an empirical analysis was carried out on a sample of 37 sustainability reports using a methodological framework based on scoring techniques to analyze their content. The findings show that the universities have disclosed more information about climate change mitigation and adaptation practices and less about SDGs regarding quality of education and peace, democracy and strong institutions.
... The literature on Sustainable University concepts mainly focuses on three different approaches: the institution's infrastructure (Almeida et al., 2013;Oliveira et al., 2018), the didactic-pedagogical system and the design of a sustainable curriculum (Lukman and Glavi c, 2007;Van Weenen, 2000) focused on the students (Alves-Pinto and Giannetti et al., 2021b). Regarding universities' infrastructure, several studies are focusing on their management operation systems, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of the university campus (Jain et al., 2017;Savely et al., 2007) by implementing a more sustainable physical structure (Jose and Chacko, 2017;Aisheh et al., 2010). Several case studies were also performed in specific universities, either proposing changes or proposing actions to improve their environmental performance (de Deus et al., 2015;Ferrer-Balas et al., 2004) and studies that evaluate the sustainability of the campus (Gu et al., 2019;Lambrechts and Liedekerke, 2014) related to its environmental performance (Almeida et al., 2013;Oliveira et al., 2018). ...
Purpose
The study of sustainability within universities is recognized as essential for debates and research; in the long term, the “sustainable university” concepts can contribute to sustainability from a larger perspective. This study aims to propose a conceptual model for evaluating the students’ sustainability considering their interactions with the university and the environment. The proposed model is titled Sunshine model. It is applied to students of the La Salle University, Peru.
Design/methodology/approach
The model combines academic performance, happiness and the ecological footprint to quantify university students’ sustainability. A structured questionnaire survey was elaborated and applied to get the raw data that feeds the three methods. The students’ average grades evaluate academic performance. Happiness is quantified by the happiness index method, and the ecological footprint is measured by the demand for food, paper, electricity, transport and built-up areas. Results are evaluated under both approaches, overall group performance and clusters.
Findings
The proposed model avoids misleading interpretations of a single indicator or discussions on sustainability that lack a conceptual model, bringing robustness in assessing students’ sustainability in universities. To have a low ecological footprint, the student needs to need up to 1 planet for their lifestyle, be considered happy with at least 0.8 (of 1) for happiness index, and have good academic performance with at least a grade of 7 (of 10) in their course. Regarding the case study, La Salle students show a high academic grade degree of 7, a high level for happiness index of 0.8 and low performance for ecological footprint by demanding 1.8 Earth planets, resulting in an “environmentally distracted” overall classification for students with 2019 data. From a cluster approach, 81% of evaluated students (n = 603) have low performance for ecological footprint, whereas 31% have low performance for indicators of recreational activities of happiness. Changing lifestyles and making more recreational activities available play crucial roles in achieving higher sustainability for the La Salle students.
Research limitations/implications
The happiness assessment questionnaire can be subject to criticism, as it was created as a specific method for this type of audience based on existing questionnaires in the literature. Although it can be seen as an important approach for diagnoses, the proposed model does not consider the cause–effect aspect. The decision-maker must consider the sociocultural aspects before implementing plan actions.
Practical implications
University managers can better understand why university students have high or low sustainability performance and provide more effective actions toward higher levels of students’ sustainability.
Originality/value
The proposed model, Sunshine model, overcomes the single-criteria existing tools that access the sustainability of universities. Rather than focusing on university infrastructure, the proposed model focuses on the students and their relationship with the university.
Realising the importance of environmental conservation, higher education institutions (HEIs) around the globe are moving towards adopting Environmental Management Practices (EMPs). In order to enhance the success of these practices, a clear standard to evaluate the environmental management performance of HEIs is needed. Unfortunately, limited literature is currently available on this topic. This situation necessitates a study to explore students’ perceptions about the EMPs implementation in the HEIs. As a key stakeholder, the university students’ insights are valuable in evaluating the effectiveness of the environmental management system. In the current study, interviews involving 21 students were conducted and thematic analysis was employed to analyse the interview data based on Gioia qualitative data analysis framework. It was discovered that although majority of the respondents were aware of environmental issues and participated in environmental-related programmes, their understanding of the definition and implementation of EMPs was unclear. This is largely due to their perceptions about the sustainability efforts being undertaken by the university. Hence, the management of HEIs should focus on clarifying sustainability messages to achieve a shared understanding among organisational members. These findings call for future research aimed at exploring whether addressing student’s opinion as an important university’s stakeholder can increase the effectiveness of EMP implementation and thereby enhance the adoption of sustainability practices in HEIs.
The article aims to present a proposal and discuss the Green Kaizen Model, which is focused on integrated development, ensuring cost reduction and fulfilling the requirements of all the organisation’s interested parties.The authors have prepared and presented the Green Kaizen Model in the study. Its effectiveness has been confirmed in the balanced development of the DPF production process.The development of the model, based on the multiannual experience of the automotive-oriented organisation and its systemic application, has confirmed that its implementation brings measurable benefits in the range of limiting the environmental aspects.The paper should be of special attention to engineers interested in applying Green Kaizen and recycling materials databases to develop processes.The value of the presented paper is constituted by the Green Kaizen Model. The proposed model may create a complex tool for improving the costs and quality range processes and be dedicated to sustainable development.
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the direct relationship between green human resource management (GHRM) practices and environmental performance (EP) in Palestinian universities, as well as the mediating role of management support (MS) and green organisational culture (GOC) in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was used in this study. The data were collected from 351 employees working in Palestinian universities through a questionnaire and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.
Findings
The study finds that the implementation of GHRM practices positively enhances EP. The results further demonstrate that GHRM practices influence both MS and GOC. Furthermore, this study reveals that both MS and GOC play a significant role in mediating the relationship between GHRM and EP.
Practical implications
This study adds to the existing literature by providing a conceptual framework and empirical evidence of the correlation between GHRM, GOC, MS and EP, specifically in university settings. Educational institutions can use this study’s findings to foster a green culture and gain endorsement from top-level management. This approach promotes the adoption of eco-friendly practices and the development of environmental strategies that can influence EP.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the field by enhancing the understanding of the ability–motivation–opportunity theory in the context of Palestinian universities. Specifically, this study investigates how GHRM practices and GOC establish core competence for sustainable EP. Furthermore, the findings reveal a positive influence of GHRM practices on both GOC and MS. Finally, this study’s empirical evidence highlights the significance of GHRM practices in fostering GOC, MS and, ultimately, improving EP within universities.
Quality is a term that refers to various aspects of our life and functioning, e.g. product quality, food quality, service quality, quality of life. Overall quality is increasing and we as consumers/clients expect high quality. Times are changing, globalization processes are progressing, there is a risk of conflicts in the world, etc., which all affect various aspects of quality, including, of course, the quality of our life. Therefore, there are many challenges to quality. Questions should be asked about
the future of quality – what should we focus on, what aspects of quality will be particularly important, etc., and what will be the quality of the future based on this – what event can we predict, how the world and our functioning as consumers/clients, but also organizations, will change. This book presents a set of papers trying to find out these answers. Various aspects of quality and quality management are presented which show the most important challenges to quality and also are the signs of times we live in.
This article traces the evolution and chronology of global standards with particular reference to the ISO 9000 total quality management standards, and subsequently ISO 14000, the standards for environmental management. Currently there are two standards in final form (ISO 14001 and ISO 14004) covering requirements for and evaluation of environmental management systems, and the evaluation of products, product life cycles and management systems, respectively. The implications of ISO 14000 and its effect on the P/M industry, now and in the future, are considered.
Weyerhaeuser Canada's Dryden Mill is using its Intranet to publish documentation of an integrated quality and environmental management system. The documents are procedures designed to comply with the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards. Procedures are created electronically using familiar tools for word processing and graphics. Document approval is routed through the mill e-mail system. Only one controlled copy of the procedure manual exists electronically in the mill web server. The system administrator updates the web by running automatic conversion ofWord documents to intranet format The frequency of the ISO web site usage is measured and trended. Use of the Intranet for distributing documentation has eliminated the need for multiple binders that must be updated for each control room and mill department.
Increasing Environmental responsibilities on part of the management to comply with environment protection and pollution control legislations and escalating environmental compliance and remediation costs, has created a need for effective Environmental Management System (EMS).The focus of EMS is to conserve input resources and to protect the environment. This paper describes the ISO 14000 series as an effective tool for environment management systems applied to textile industries. A case study based on actual implementation of ISO 14001 in an upcoming textile unit based in North India has been illustrated.
It is a major challenge to assess environmental, health and safety risks in the mostly non-quantitative world of environmental management. It is an even greater challenge to communicate these risks to stakeholders. Given the imprecise methods currently available to rank risk, there is a fundamental need to formalize human judgment and perception when identifying significant environmental aspects to be included in an ISO 14001 environmental management system. This edited version of a paper from the 2001 AESF/EPA Conference for Environmental Excellence presents an approach for using "fuzzy logic," an artificial intelligence technique, as an alternative to numerical methods. Instead of providing black-and-white answers based on "gray" data that are subject to human judgment or perception, fuzzy logic allows for the mathematical modeling of qualitative data and provides answers that are more consistent with the real world. Fuzzy logic makes it possible, therefore, to model the descriptive and simplistic measures often used in audit reports, and can help environmental managers identify significant environmental aspects with greater company-wide consistency and control.
The concept of organizational culture has received increasing attention in recent years both from academics and practitioners. This article presents the author's view of how culture should be defined and analyzed if it is to be of use in the field of organizational psychology. Other concepts are reviewed, a brief history is provided, and case materials are presented to illustrate how to analyze culture and how to think about culture change.
A census of 925 U.S. colleges and universities offering masters and doctorate degrees was conducted in order to study the number of elements of an environmental management system possessed by small, medium and large institutions. A 30% response rate was received with 273 responses included in the final data analysis. Overall, the number of environmental management system elements implemented among the 273 institutions ranged from 0 to 16, with a median of 12. The proportion of U.S. colleges and universities that reported having implemented a structured, comprehensive environmental management system is discussed. Stratified analyses were performed by institution size, Carnegie Classification and job title.