Welcome to the United Nations

June 2022 - You are accessing an old version of our website. The SDGs Voluntary Commitments have been migrated here: https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships

You will be redirected to the new Partnership Platform in 10 seconds.

#SDGAction27687
University College Cork Green Campus Initiative
Description/achievement of initiative

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.

Implementation methodologies

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

Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer

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.

Coordination mechanisms/governance structure

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.

Partner(s)

University College Cork students and staff, Union of Students in Ireland, Green Campus Ireland, University College Cork Green Forum
Progress reports
Goal 4
4.3 - By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
4.5 - By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations
4.7 - By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
Goal 11
11.4 - Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
11.a - Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning
11.b - By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels
Goal 13
13.3 - Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
13.b - Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities

* Acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary international,
intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.
Goal 15
15.2 - By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
Goal 17
17.7 - Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
17.17 - Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

Data, monitoring and accountability
01/01/2023
Eliminate unnecessary single use plastics from campus
01/01/2025
At least one campus site to be carbon neutral
01/10/2019
Develop an Academic Strategy connected to the SDGs
Other, please specify
Knowledge through collaborations, teaching, and research
Staff / Technical expertise
Sustainability Officer, Buildings and Estates staff, academic and senior administrators

Basic information
Time-frame: January 2008 - ongoing
Website
Partners
University College Cork students and staff, Union of Students in Ireland, Green Campus Ireland, University College Cork Green Forum
Countries
Contact information
Maria Kirrane, Dr, m.kirrane@ucc.ie
United Nations