Green Campus

Introduction

Pondicherry University is a well-established and renowned institution in India, with a commitment to sustainability and responsible environmental stewardship. In recent years, the University has undertaken a concerted effort to build a green campus that reflects its commitment to sustainability and responsible environmental resource management. To this end, the University has developed a comprehensive vision, mission, and scope for its Green Campus Initiative addressing the triple planetary crisis: climate change, loss of biodiversity, and waste & pollution, and to speed up the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals at all levels. In this write-up, we will outline the purpose of the Green Campus Initiative, as well as the University’s Vision, Mission, Pillars, and Scope for this important endeavor.

Staff Members

Coordinator

Dr. Nandhivarman Muthu

Ph: 0413- 265 4604
EMail: coordinator.greencampus.pu@gmail.com

The facilities of the Green Campus come under the following groups:

The purpose of the Office of Green Campus at Pondicherry University is to promote sustainability and responsible environmental management on campus, with a view to reducing the institution’s environmental footprint and contributing to global efforts to combat climate change. The initiative seeks to create a sustainable and environmental friendly campus that promotes awareness and education about sustainability issues and fosters a culture of environmental responsibility and stewardship among students, faculty, staff, and the wider community.

The scope of the Office of Green Campus at Pondicherry University is broad and comprehensive. It encompasses all aspects of campus life, including academic programs, research activities, operations and facilities management, and community outreach. The scope includes the implementation of sustainable practices in all areas of campus life, from energy-efficient buildings to sustainable transportation options, to waste reduction, upcycling, recovery and application programs.

This is an important and ambitious undertaking that reflects the University’s commitment to sustainability and responsible natural resource management and pollution abatement. Through the implementation of sustainable practices and the promotion of environmental awareness and education, the University is contributing to global efforts to combat climate change and achieve the targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The University’s vision, mission, pillars, and scope for the Office of Green Campus provide a roadmap for achieving the important objectives and ensure that Pondicherry University remains a pioneer and leader in sustainable campus practices and environmental stewardship in ‘sustainable cities and nation building’.

The Green Campus Initiative at Pondicherry University is aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. The University recognizes that climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution as the most pressing environmental challenges facing the world today, and that universities have a critical role to play in addressing these challenges. By promoting sustainability and responsible on-campus resource management, Pondicherry University is contributing to global efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and achieve the targets set out in the Global Goals.

The vision of the Green Campus Initiative at Pondicherry University is to create a campus that is a model of sustainability and environmental responsibility, and that inspires and educates future generations of environmental leaders. The University’s vision is to create a campus that is nature-positive and carbon-neutral and that promotes biodiversity and ecosystem conservation for human and animal health and welfare.

The mission of the Office of Green Campus at Pondicherry University is to promote sustainability and responsible environmental management on campus and outreach and to create a culture of environmental responsibility among students, faculty, staff, and the wider community. The University’s mission is to reduce its environmental footprint through the implementation of sustainable practices, including energy conservation, waste reduction, food sustainability, water, and biodiversity conservation.

  • Awareness
  • Green Initiatives
  • Standard Operation & Transformation
  • Dissemination
  • Fund Raising & Outreach

Environmental Justice:

Article 51A(g) of the Indian Constitution makes it ‘the fundamental duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures’.

‘It is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income concerning the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies’.

Principle-15 of the Rio Declaration:

‘Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty (or funds)* shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation’.

Tipping Theory

‘Doing the Good’ rather than ‘Stopping the Bad’

Picking Up Low-Hanging Fruit

 ‘Always Small Action Matters’

Compliance/ Governance

  • Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016
  • Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016
  • Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016
  • Hazardous Waste Management Rules, 2016
  • E-Waste Management Rules, 2016
  • Sanitary Napkin Waste Management Guidelines, 2016
  • Construction & Demolition waste Management Rules, 2016

 

SDG goal-specific policies

  • Green Protocol for Educational Institutions, organizations, industries and residences
  • Green Protocol for Wetlands

 

  • Solid Waste
  • Plastic Waste
  • Sanitary Napkin Waste
  • Biomedical Waste

 

Sustainable Development Goals

  • Sustainable Development Goals

The Role of Universities and their Leaders Facing the Grand Challenges of Climate Change and Sustainability

  • Training and capacity building for the compliance of green protocol @ Puducherry
  • Universities Facing Climate Change and Sustainability, supported by the Körber Foundation, on behalf of the Global University Leaders Council.
  • International Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Program
  • Talloires Declaration
  • Sustainability Literacy Test

Books

  • Encyclopedia on Sustainable Development Goals, Springer Publisher.
  • Higher Education and Sustainable Development Goals, Emerald Publisher

 

contacts

Dr. Nandhivarman Muthu, M.Sc., MBL, Ph.D.
Coordinator
Climate Change, Environment, and Sustainability
Green Campus Initiatives
Green Protocol & Waste Management Rules Compliance
Ground Floor (Adj to PRO),
Administrative Building,
Pondicherry University.
Landline: +91 413 265 4604
Email: coordinator.greencampus.pu@gmail.com
https://in.linkedin.com/in/nandhivarman-muthu
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