USP’s Environmental Policy in the SDGs Approach
427
the highest connection number node was also the one represented by SDG 11—
Sustainable cities and communities, followed by the SDGs 15, 13 and 12 nodes.
The modularity indicator with different color groups is a similarity indicator
among the nodes and their connections. Besides, it has its main use on finding
communities in large networks (Blondel et al. 2008), as well as it has a good use for
the qualitative analysis carried out in this study.
The clustering formed with some PPs promotes joint efforts opportunities for
networking, and also highlights how the projects can be converged in more complex
programs or even new EP thematic areas.
The cluster formed by PP1, PP3, PP12 and, PP15 has shown how these projects
can converge and work alongside, despite happening on different campuses. All
projects involve biodiversity conservation and are also connected with the SDGs 15
and 13. Similarly, the cluster formed by PP2, PP5, PP7, and PP16, are associated
with mobility innovations on campus and connect themselves to each other through
the SDGs 11, 3 and 7, highlighting how mobility issues connect health and energy
in a meaningful set of opportunities.
Figure 3 represents the Figs. 1 and 2 intersection, correlating the SDGs with EP
and PP. The methodology applied to evaluate the adherence between the EP and PPs
has not shown any correlation with the SDGs 1, 5, 8, 14, and 17, mainly because the
environmental actions addressed throughout the themes do not target directly these
goals.
However, it is important to stress that USP presents several actions that address to
and with society: (i) SDG 1—public and tuition-free university able to offer several
welfares and social services (housing, restaurants, nursery, among others) to support
students in their studies, and besides, also enabling the under-represented groups
to be admitted in all programs (at least 40% of the students are black, brown or
indigenous, or from public schools); (ii) SDG 5—no gender differences in salary. A
commission of only women was recently created to address and take action against
all kinds of violence (physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, sexist, racial or
LGBTphobic); (iii) SDG 8—due to its classification in different international rankings (QS—World University Rankings; U.S. News & World Report), USP plays an
important role in developing high-quality professionals able to perform in several
sectors in Brazil and the world; (iv) SDG 14—one of USP campuses is located in
a coastal ecosystem protected area (CEBImar), in which a teaching and research
center is promoting important knowledge development in aquatic life preservation;
(v) SDG 17—the University has been broadening its partnerships and participation
in the international scenario throughout university sustainability rankings (ISCN—
International Sustainable Campus Network; IUSDRP—Inter-University Sustainable
Development Research Programme; UI GreenMetric) with SGA/USP as mediator.
Highlighting the SDG 11 and concerning the local projects of each campus, it has
been signaled that the EP/USP has been acting in a way to converge the thematic
areas into practical and localized actions. The connection with the SDGs reinforces
the need for a multilevel approach, which is especially relevant to sustainability
challenges (Molthan-Hill et al. 2020), since the issues will not be solved if they are
only fostered from the top or pursued at the individual level (Schwaninger 2015).
427
the highest connection number node was also the one represented by SDG 11—
Sustainable cities and communities, followed by the SDGs 15, 13 and 12 nodes.
The modularity indicator with different color groups is a similarity indicator
among the nodes and their connections. Besides, it has its main use on finding
communities in large networks (Blondel et al. 2008), as well as it has a good use for
the qualitative analysis carried out in this study.
The clustering formed with some PPs promotes joint efforts opportunities for
networking, and also highlights how the projects can be converged in more complex
programs or even new EP thematic areas.
The cluster formed by PP1, PP3, PP12 and, PP15 has shown how these projects
can converge and work alongside, despite happening on different campuses. All
projects involve biodiversity conservation and are also connected with the SDGs 15
and 13. Similarly, the cluster formed by PP2, PP5, PP7, and PP16, are associated
with mobility innovations on campus and connect themselves to each other through
the SDGs 11, 3 and 7, highlighting how mobility issues connect health and energy
in a meaningful set of opportunities.
Figure 3 represents the Figs. 1 and 2 intersection, correlating the SDGs with EP
and PP. The methodology applied to evaluate the adherence between the EP and PPs
has not shown any correlation with the SDGs 1, 5, 8, 14, and 17, mainly because the
environmental actions addressed throughout the themes do not target directly these
goals.
However, it is important to stress that USP presents several actions that address to
and with society: (i) SDG 1—public and tuition-free university able to offer several
welfares and social services (housing, restaurants, nursery, among others) to support
students in their studies, and besides, also enabling the under-represented groups
to be admitted in all programs (at least 40% of the students are black, brown or
indigenous, or from public schools); (ii) SDG 5—no gender differences in salary. A
commission of only women was recently created to address and take action against
all kinds of violence (physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, sexist, racial or
LGBTphobic); (iii) SDG 8—due to its classification in different international rankings (QS—World University Rankings; U.S. News & World Report), USP plays an
important role in developing high-quality professionals able to perform in several
sectors in Brazil and the world; (iv) SDG 14—one of USP campuses is located in
a coastal ecosystem protected area (CEBImar), in which a teaching and research
center is promoting important knowledge development in aquatic life preservation;
(v) SDG 17—the University has been broadening its partnerships and participation
in the international scenario throughout university sustainability rankings (ISCN—
International Sustainable Campus Network; IUSDRP—Inter-University Sustainable
Development Research Programme; UI GreenMetric) with SGA/USP as mediator.
Highlighting the SDG 11 and concerning the local projects of each campus, it has
been signaled that the EP/USP has been acting in a way to converge the thematic
areas into practical and localized actions. The connection with the SDGs reinforces
the need for a multilevel approach, which is especially relevant to sustainability
challenges (Molthan-Hill et al. 2020), since the issues will not be solved if they are
only fostered from the top or pursued at the individual level (Schwaninger 2015).