Sustainable Development Practices in Higher Education Institutions: A Case of Green Campus Initiatives in Navi Mumbai

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1 Sustainable Development Practices in Higher Education Institutions: A Case of Green Campus Initiatives in Navi Mumbai Dr. N.Mahesh *, Prof. Sachin Mhatre + * Professor & Head, MMS Dept.,ACPCE, Kharghar,New Mumbai nadiminty.mahesh@gmail.com + Pacific University, Udaipur,India sachin.mh2009@gmail.com Abstract The role of Higher Education is important in developing sustainable practices among the students and other stakeholders for preparing them for future challenges in social and environmental growth strategies. Education plays a key role in the transition towards sustainable development, a green economy and livelihood generation. There are some institutions of higher learning around us, have included sustainable development in their courses, curriculum, research, training, institutional management, operation systems activities and infrastructure. This study of 15 colleges in Navi Mumbai area imparting higher education was surveyed on eight major factors of sustainable practices by using the green campus initiatives and developments. The aim of this paper is to understand green campus initiatives by the colleges and their commitment towards environment and society as a whole. Further, this paper discuss on best sustainable practices to be adapted among the students and staff of college. Key words: sustainable development, green campus, higher education INTRODUCTION Education institutes around the world have important role to play in sustainability and preparing academic community to either adopt or mitigate complex challenges of environment, social and economic concerns. The Brundtland Commission [1987] defined sustainable development as a pattern of resource use that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.. Objectives of the studies The role of higher education institutions is crucial in tackling the environmental issues and to address the needs of the society and the environment to build a better and more sustainable world. Considering the complexity of the academic activities involving students, faculty and staff members to transform innovative green campus initiatives, the objective of the study are as follows: I. To study awareness level among stakeholders in higher education Institutions about green campus initiatives. II. To understand and analysis effort done on academics and research on sustainable development issues by Institutes. III. To study the operational practices adapted by the various colleges towards sustainability in Navi Mumbai Review of Literature Santos (2009), article discusses about four drivers of sustainability in higher education related to institution s stakeholders both internal and external; increasing trends of industrialization associated with material consumption, pollution and generated waste; emerging technologies; and other higher education institutions. Tan, et. al. [2014], in their research paper summarized the program of green campus development in China, including all the initiatives to conduct the energy and resources efficient campus and suggestion were made in terms of the administrative management, propulsion approach, evaluation standard, and action plan. There is more concern among the higher education institutes for campus green initiatives, pledges to climate commitment and the environment has become a strategic issue that can be use a competitive advantage ( Santos [2009], Sahoo & Mishra [2012], The college sustainability report card(2009) focuses mainly on policies and practices in nine main categories such as administration, green building, students involvement, climate change and energy, food and recycling, shareholders, transportation, etc. According to AASHE ( ), Association for the advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, reports states on campus environment action in which colleges are committed to reducing their carbon footprint. The United nation s initiatives Higher Education sustainability Initiative (HESI), which aims to promote the principles of sustainability in higher education, was launched during a side event at Rio+20, Rio conference on Earth Summit on sustainable development organized by the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The document HESI acknowledges the responsibilities of higher education leaders in the international pursuit of sustainable development. It 1 P a g e

2 commits institutions to: (i) Teach sustainability development concepts; (ii) encourage research on sustainability development issues; (iii) green our campus; (iv) support sustainability efforts; and (v) engage with and share results through international framework. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has taken initiatives to develop green campuses/ townships under Development of Solar Cities Programme. In its guidelines concept of green campus has been developed in higher education community with optimum land use, environmental planning and resource management i.e., improving energy, conserving resources, enhancing environmental quality including habitat preservation, healthy living environment, use of renewable energy and management of wastes, water recycling etc.. The buildings within the campus should be based on green building concepts to the extent possible. Research Methodology The study was done among 15 colleges in Navi Mumbai. The completed questionnaires designed to assess awareness level, commitment to the environment, willingness to encourage research and academic activities and various green campus initiatives. The questionnaire designed to assess the extent to which campuses are sustainable information has been collected from staff, students, faculty and administrators. The secondary data was has been collected from different books, magazines and internet websites. Sampling Procedure Convenient sampling is adopted for this study as it attempts to obtain a sample of convenient elements. Scope of the Study The area of scope of the study is confined to Navi Mumbai area only. The sample includes all the institutes in Navi Mumbai area having graduate and post graduate courses in same campus were selected. Limitation of the study Various limitations faced in conducting the study were mainly: 1) Data was collected in the month of January and Febuary 2015 for two months only. 2) It needn t cover all the colleges in Navi Mumbai only selected sample of 15 were taken into consideration. 3) The sample of the study doesn t represent entire Navi Mumbai area. Data Analysis and Interpretation( in %age ) I. Awareness Level about Green Campus among Stakeholders ( in %age ) Awareness Level Respondents Yes No Can t Say Have you heard Faculty & Staff about Green Students Campus Green Building Faculty & Staff Students Faculty & Staff Students Green Corporation Green Jobs Faculty & Staff Students Implementation Respondents Yes No Can t Say implementation of Faculty & Staff green in campus is necessary Students believe in greening Faculty & Staff your campus Students III. Encourage Research on Sustainable Development Issues( in %age ) Research/Training Respondents Yes No Can t Say Schools should Faculty & Staff encourage sustainability training to professionals and practitioners Students Scientific and technological knowledge help to improve sustainable development Newly updates on green techniques play important role in green campus College have Mission statement about sustainability on campus IV. Green our Campus( in %age ) Green Campus Is it necessary to reduce the environment footprint through energy, water and material resources efficiencies in building Adapting to sustainable procurement practices in supply chain and catering services is important College to provide sustainable mobility option (carpool, cycle, public transport, etc.,) for stakeholders College has effective programmes for waste minimization, recycling & reuse. Faculty & Staff Students Faculty & Staff Students Faculty & Staff Students Responden ts Yes No Can t Say Faculty & Staff Students Faculty & Staff Students Faculty & Staff Students Faculty & Staff Students II. Implementation of concept of Green Campus ( %age) 2 P a g e

3 VI. Action and Activities taken up ( in %age ) Events to be done in the campus Seminar 45 Road Show 15 Exhibition 22 Publicity/Advertising 10 fund raising event 4 Green clubs 4 V. Importance of Activities towards green Campus (in %age) Activity Priority /Importance Water 31 Conservation Energy 30 conservation Recycling of waste 16 Landscaping 03 Transportation 14 Building design 06 References Brundtland Commission [1987], Our Common Future, Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, published as Annex to General Assembly document A/42/427. The Report of the Brundtland Commission, Our Common Future, was published by Oxford University Press in Santos,A.T. [2009], Going Green: The Impact on Higher Education Institutions, Journal of International Business Research, Vol.8, Special Issue 2. Sahoo, M.K., & Mishra, S.K. [2012], Green Campus - A Competitive Advantage and Sustainability for Management Institutions, DRIEMS Business Review, Vol.1, No.1, PP Tan, H., et. al. (2014), Development of Green Campus in China, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol.64, Pp CONCLUSIONS Education plays a crucial role in addressing sustainable development, both formal and informal education. Sustainable development is not possible without education and stakeholder engagement. This could be an opportunity to map out a new course curriculum and innovative training for institute/ universities to move to a green platform in terms of their own practices and how they teach. It would help institutions to produce environmentally responsible and sustainable development decision making workforces capable of building green economies and societies. 3 P a g e