Environmental Sustainability
of Universities: Critical Review of Best
Initiatives and Operational Practices
Nurul Hana Mohamed, Zainura Zainon Noor and Cindy Lee Ik Sing
Abstract Nowadays, there have been various environmental sustainability
initiatives implemented by the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through
research, education, community involvement and campus operations. By embedding
an effective initiative as well as best practices, environmental sustainability performance of universities can be improved. Realising the benefits of these factors, this
book chapter aims at constructively reviewing the university’s environmental sustainability initiatives (ESI) by highlighting underlying issues and necessary improvements. To accomplish this, the ESI of three research universities in Malaysia were
reviewed in accordance with UI GreenMetric World University Ranking. Around
36 major initiatives as well as several environmental sustainability courses that have
been conducted by all three research universities was categorised using the descriptions and rationales of the six (6) main environmental category in UI GreenMetric
which are Setting and Infrastructure, Energy and Climate Change, Waste, Water,
Transportation and Education and Research. It can be concluded that the key factors
that should be included in the ESI plan are awareness and environmental knowledge,
green space and land use management, energy efficiency and water conservation,
natural resource limitation, climate change mitigation, waste minimisation, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, environmental education programme and research
collaboration as well as environmental sustainability guidelines and policies. These
factors can help and guide universities to produce a good and strategic plan in practicing and conducting ESI towards a better future.
Keywords Environmental sustainability of universities · Environmental
sustainability initiatives (ESI) · UI GreenMetric world university ranking · Setting
and infrastructure · Energy and climate change · Waste · Water · Transportation
and education and research
N. H. Mohamed (B) · Z. Z. Noor · C. L. I. Sing
School of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,
81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: nurulhana8@yahoo.com
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. Z. Yaser (ed.), Green Engineering for Campus Sustainability,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7260-5_2
5
of Universities: Critical Review of Best
Initiatives and Operational Practices
Nurul Hana Mohamed, Zainura Zainon Noor and Cindy Lee Ik Sing
Abstract Nowadays, there have been various environmental sustainability
initiatives implemented by the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through
research, education, community involvement and campus operations. By embedding
an effective initiative as well as best practices, environmental sustainability performance of universities can be improved. Realising the benefits of these factors, this
book chapter aims at constructively reviewing the university’s environmental sustainability initiatives (ESI) by highlighting underlying issues and necessary improvements. To accomplish this, the ESI of three research universities in Malaysia were
reviewed in accordance with UI GreenMetric World University Ranking. Around
36 major initiatives as well as several environmental sustainability courses that have
been conducted by all three research universities was categorised using the descriptions and rationales of the six (6) main environmental category in UI GreenMetric
which are Setting and Infrastructure, Energy and Climate Change, Waste, Water,
Transportation and Education and Research. It can be concluded that the key factors
that should be included in the ESI plan are awareness and environmental knowledge,
green space and land use management, energy efficiency and water conservation,
natural resource limitation, climate change mitigation, waste minimisation, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, environmental education programme and research
collaboration as well as environmental sustainability guidelines and policies. These
factors can help and guide universities to produce a good and strategic plan in practicing and conducting ESI towards a better future.
Keywords Environmental sustainability of universities · Environmental
sustainability initiatives (ESI) · UI GreenMetric world university ranking · Setting
and infrastructure · Energy and climate change · Waste · Water · Transportation
and education and research
N. H. Mohamed (B) · Z. Z. Noor · C. L. I. Sing
School of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,
81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: nurulhana8@yahoo.com
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. Z. Yaser (ed.), Green Engineering for Campus Sustainability,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7260-5_2
5