Good practice:

University College Cork Green Campus

In 2007, UCC students instigated a pilot Green Campus programme, with the help of An Taisce, which would see the university become the first in the world to be awarded a Green Flag from the Foundation for Environmental Education. UCC renewed its Green Flag in 2013, 2016, and 2019. The programme is student-led, research-informed and practice-focused.
The programme utilises the ISM (Individual, Social,Material) model developed by the Scottish Government to influence behaviour change and drive substantial and lasting change on campus. The programme works in multiple contexts, drawing in multiple disciplines and involves multiple stakeholders.
In order to engage with students, the programme uses frameworks along with a good governance structure that identifies key enablers and principles that will implement a sustainability ecosystem and a living laboratory within the campus.
The college piloted the green flag programme to drive environmentally sustainable change and influence behaviour. This requires the commitment and engagement of all stakeholders, and establishing a framework to implement a seven step programme of continual improvement across several themes. The key elements of the programme are informing and involving the community and the establishment of a committee.
In 2016, UCC published its first sustainability strategy. The multiple strands of the strategy include a focus on citizenship, a low carbon campus and climate change.

Support from An Taisce, students, staff and UCC governing body. A full time sustainability officer was appointed in 2017.

First university in the world to be awarded ISO 50001 (Energy Management Systems) certification.
Green Flag award in 2007, renewed in 2011, 2014 and 2017.
44% reduction in energy intensity on campus (2017-2020)
36% drop in carbon emissions,
90% growth in cycling journeys,
83% reduction in student printing.
In 2018, UCC became the first university in Europe to be awarded a Gold Star from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Retaining interest amongst students was a challenge. The key to overcoming this was the ability to identify projects that the programme can implement. The latest of these include plastic free UCC, participation in the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking and the Green Campus Living Laboratory Fund.

The successful transfer of this practice to other colleges will depend on it being student driven, with support from the staff and governing body at the college. It is important that a framework is put in place that enables the students to take ownership and drive the green campus programme that the college develops. Funding sources also need to be identified and this may include a revolving fund where savings from reduced waste generation and energy consumption can be used to drive environmental improvements elsewhere in the college.
Failure by the college to engage with students to address their concerns on environmental matters will lead to students becoming demoralised, unrest and prevent the development of an inclusive green campus programme.
University College Cork are currently facilitating supporting the development of green campus programmes in the Institute of Technology Sligo (Ireland) and the Buildings and Estate Department of the Province of Treviso in Italy.