Sustainability at the University of Groningen

General

The University of Groningen supports the recommendations of the Copernicus charter. The coordination of the sustainability project is in the hands of the Sustainability project group and the Health and Safety Office (AMD). The University of Groningen has set itself the target of being a good example of sustainability in all the following aspects: sustainable accommodation, sustainable management, sustainable business operations and teaching and research directed towards sustainable development.

University buildings

The University of Groningen has a large number of old and new buildings. The developments in the energy and waste markets show that savings and sustainable construction are essential. The emphasis in the plan for sustainable use of university buildings lies on the construction projects at Paddepoel. The AMD, together with the Sustainability project group, is leading the way in developing an instrument to measure sustainability. This ‘Environmental Performance Indicators’ method (MPI) is suitable for wide application at national level.

Teaching and research

The main emphasis in the project is on teaching. This is to an important degree reliant on the research into sustainability being conducted at many places within the University. Important elements include the improvement of environmental education and the development of new modules within the Bachelor’s/Master’s system, particularly by Economics and Business, Law, Spatial Sciences, Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

The Green Campus education project will be continued. Important within this framework is the continuation and continued expansion of teaching modules for the Industrial Engineering and Management degree programme and for the Faculties of Economics and Business and Medical Sciences. In 2005, the University of Groningen contributed to a national series of subject reviews on subject-specific sustainability. Improved presentation of the results of current research and teaching on sustainability to external parties is a major area of attention.

The action points of the University of Groningen sustainability project

• An improvement in the integration and presentation of existing and newly developed modules related to sustainability, initially in the Bachelor’s phase and later with more depth in the Master's phase.
• Improvement in the external presentation of sustainability-related research together with the Energy Delta Research Centre ( EDReC ).
• Facilitation of educational projects by the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies (IVEM) expertise centre.
• Making sustainability education more generally accessible through a range of general studies modules (AVV).
• Designing Minor programmes for specific degree programmes and new pilot modules for Economics and Business and Medical Sciences.
• Continuing national and international networks and contributions to publications.
• Continuing attention to sustainable business operations and sustainable construction.
• Continuing attention to health, safety and the environment.
• Guaranteeing the sustainable development project in the long term.