The Human Element: Driving Campus Sustainability Forward

Most higher education institutions practice some form of sustainability. Not only is it important for the planet, but it also makes business sense. When done right, initiatives around managing energy and water consumption, improving air quality, reducing pollutants, using environmentally friendly materials, and more can save tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. University presidents also cite public relations and student recruiting as important sustainability benefits.

They’re right. Nearly half of students say it is very important that their college prioritizes sustainability. For 13 percent of them, it impacted their college choice.

However, creating long-term sustainability programs presents unique challenges due to the nature of universities and human nature. Understanding these challenges is critical to overcoming them.

Inherent Sustainability Challenges

• Diverse stakeholders: It is extremely difficult to ensure durable sustainability without stakeholder participation. Educational facilities’ diverse stakeholders make this even more challenging. While students, faculty, and staff may have vested interests in a healthy, clean, and sustainable campus, their personal and professional drivers—and therefore, behaviors—often differ.

For instance, implementing sustainability programs can require significant upfront investments. College presidents, business officers, and board members who are focused on budgets, balancing competing priorities, and return on investment may be unwilling to invest in practices other stakeholders advocate for—such as lowering carbon emissions and installing solar panels or offering composting stations and locally sourced, organic dining options.

On a more daily level, some people will be more likely to practice environmentally sound behaviors. For example, facility services personnel and administrative staff may be more attuned to and, therefore, willing to pick up and recycle trash than visitors attending on-campus sporting events or students making their way home to dorms after a late night out.

• Constant change: The frequent turnover of students, staff, and faculty can impact sustainability effectiveness and continuity. When people leave, their knowledge, expertise, and passion can be lost. New arrivals may not be as informed or invested in ongoing projects, which can slow progress. New leaders may shift focus away from existing programs that aren’t well-integrated into the institution’s core operations or culture.

• Ingrained behaviors: Changing the behaviors of any population, let alone a large, diverse one, is difficult at best. Resistance to change, lack of awareness, and ingrained patterns make it hard to institute new habits, such as taking shorter showers to conserve water or using bikes or shuttles to get around campus instead of cars. This may explain why, for example, 79 percent of students use sustainability-friendly refillable water bottles, but 46 percent of them still print physical papers for class, perhaps due to their own habits or faculty requirements.

• Distributed campus operations: Campuses are often large and complex, with multiple buildings serving varied functions (classrooms, laboratories, dormitories, dining halls, stadiums, offices). Coordinating sustainability efforts across all these areas—and all the people responsible for maintaining them—can be logistically challenging.

Best Practices for Building Stakeholder Participation and Enthusiasm

Facility management teams play an important role in influencing sustainability habits and policies. Many rely on outsourced facility services providers whose expertise in promoting and managing cross-campus sustainability initiatives can help ensure well-run, durable programs.

Here are best practices that have proven effective for raising awareness, driving participation, and fostering a culture of sustainability.

• Tailored training and education: With the influx of new students, staff, and faculty, universities must continuously invest in communication, training, and awareness to educate newcomers and remind returning stakeholders about their sustainability efforts, policies, and expectations. Tailor sessions to the needs and interests of different groups while also covering foundational sustainability concepts. Focus student sessions on personal and communal behavior changes, such as green dorm living and sustainable dining habits. During orientation and at the start of every academic year, cover topics like recycling guidelines, energy conservation tips, and sustainability transportation options. Conduct interactive workshops and hands-on activities such as recycling relay races and energy-saving challenges.

Focus faculty and staff training on integrating sustainability into their professional roles, such as green office practices, sustainable procurement, and curriculum integration. The goal is to leverage their influence to create systemic, durable change within their departments and areas of responsibility. Facility services teams can also partner with faculty and students on academic projects related to sustainability in facilities management.

• Lead by example: FM staff should model appropriate behaviors (e.g., reducing energy use, recycling, picking up trash, composting) to set a positive example for the community. The FM team should showcase sustainability projects or improvements to demonstrate the impact and benefits of sustainability practices.

• Community engagement and recognition: Organize and participate in sustainability events (e.g., Earth Day, campus clean-ups, sustainability fairs). Provide educational signage around campus highlighting sustainability features and successes and encouraging sustainability behavior, such as “Did you know?” facts about water-saving measures in restrooms. Create a recognition program for departments, teams, dorms, and individuals who excel in sustainability practices.

• Make sustainability easy: Even people with the best intentions may not practice sustainability if it is inconvenient. Position large and clearly labeled recycling bins everywhere, make them more noticeable than trash bins and assign FM members to sort the materials. Install water-filling stations in all campus buildings and on greenways. Make bike racks available around the campus and dormitories and have repair stations and bike-sharing programs.

• Establish transparent data collection, reporting, and feedback: Create real-time dashboards that track key sustainability metrics (energy use, water consumption, waste generation, etc.). Provide transparent access to sustainability data for the campus community, fostering awareness and accountability. Make sure to create channels for students, faculty, and staff to provide feedback and suggest improvements.

Students, staff, faculty, and guests are central to the success of durable sustainability efforts. By investing in a culture of sustainability and following best practices, FM organizations can influence policies, overcome inherent human-related sustainability challenges, and ensure long-term benefits for universities, individuals, and the planet.

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Maggie Walsh is the vice president of strategic Partnerships & solutions for UG2 in San Francisco, CA. She can be reached at [email protected].