Eco Green Campus: Challenges and Opportunities. The Study Case of Polytechnic Institute of Beja

¹ Polytechnic Institute of Beja, Rua Pedro Soares, Campus do IPBeja, 7800-295 Beja, Portugal
² FiBenTech – Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies, Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal
³ ICT – Instituto de Ciências da Terra, Universidade de Évora, Portugal

^* Corresponding author: anap@ipbeja.pt

Abstract

Higher Education Institutions have an important role in the promotion of sustainability. The sustainability has been seen not only as a component of education, research and innovation, but also as a social learning process within and beyond academia. The adherence of the four schools that belongs to IPBeja, to the Eco-Schools Program allows the environmental analysis of each. The present work intends to contribute to the creation of the Eco Green Campus in to Polytechnic Institute of Beja (IPBeja). Environmental audits were carried out on the four Schools and in the IPBeja common services facilities. The results shows that it is necessary to implement some measures in order to IPBeja become an Eco Green Campus, involving all academic community: improvement of resource management; reduction of waste and effluent production; waste recovery; reduction of water and energy consumption; use of renewable energy; promotion of sustainable mobility and adoption of sustainable public procurement. It was proposed a concept of an Eco Green Campus, the IPBeja Environmental Policy and Environmental Best Practices Guide, oriented for decision-makers and for the entire academic community. The creation of an Eco Green Campus is simultaneously a challenge and an opportunity to contribute and promote the Circular Economy.