UCC Green Campus is a campus wide collaboration aimed at increasing the sustainability of the University through the embedding of sustainability goals and targets into all aspects of the University's educational, research, ancillary operations, infrastructural developments and interactions with the community. And by doing so to maintain and improve our position as one of the leading green universities in Ireland and the world. Our vision is to lead the drive towards sustainability in Higher Education Institutes and beyond, to our community, region and planet.

The implementation is in line with the ISO140001 environmental management system. However it is adapted to fit the university model, with a key element being the inclusion of all stakeholders, communication and education. The Green Campus programme is a seven step programme: 1) Establish a committee 2) Carry out an environmental review 3) Implement the action plan 4) Monitor and evaluate 5) Inform and involve the campus and wider community 6) Link to the curriculum 7) Develop a Green Charter

UCC have worked both locally and globally in sharing knowledge around sustainability in higher education. At a local level, UCC works with Cork University Hospital in helping them to implement their Green Flag programme. Globally, UCC has been working with UNAL the National University of Ecuador on Sustainability in Higher Education. As part of this a Sustainability Summer School was held in May 2018. UCC run a university wide module in sustainability which is open to students, staff and the general public for free. The module lectures are also streamed live to two locations in rural Ireland. The module focuses on local connections to the SDGs.

The Green Campus committee is composed of students and staff of the university who meet on a regular basis to decide action plans and targets. The University's Green Forum takes is the strategic arm of the initiative and looks to longer term plans. The Green Forum draws its members from across the university community and includes staff and student representatives, as well as contracted service providers. This Forum is Chaired by Prof. John O’Halloran (Deputy President and Registrar) and Mark Poland (Director of Buildings and Estates). Our Green Campus status is monitored by An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland. This organisation awards the Green Flag to a campus, on behalf of the international body FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education.) Annual reports are submitted to An Taisce and every three years a site visit is undertaken by a panel of external experts.

University College Cork students and staff, Union of Students in Ireland, Green Campus Ireland, University College Cork Green Forum