Patrícia Silva Leme

CONSTRUÇÃO DE POLÍTICA PARA GESTÃO DE RESÍDUOS NA UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO COMO MODELO PARA IMPLEMENTAÇÃO DA PNRS EM IES

The actual scenario of the University of Sao Paulo (USP) has, in an isolated form, various environmental initiatives in diverse fronts, according to the reality of its campi. In 2010, USP designated an Environmental Management coordinator attached to the university’s rectory. The following year USP approved the its Environmental Policy, that promotes environmental sustainability in all its campi. In 2012 the Environmental Management Superintendence (SGA) was created as an office responsible for environmental management of the university, with the objective of developing norms for environmental issues in agreement to the proposed environmental policy. This superintendence created in 2012 a Working Group for dealing with issues related to solid residues generated in USP. This group, composed of specialists in this area and coordinated by an member of the SGA, developed, using participative processes, strategies and procedures for the elaboration and implementation of the Solid Residue Management Policy (PGRUSP). This policy following a previous model (PUSP-C, 2010), has as objective adequate the National Solid Residue Policy (PNRS) to the university’s environment. An initial version of the PGRUSP was presented to the academic community in a Forum promoted by the SGA. In this occasion, representatives of all the categories coming from the university’s different campi, apart from members of the external community, analyzed the document and made suggestions on its contents that were later included in the final document. PGRUSP determines the elaboration of Residue Management Plans in all the units that belong to USP. At this moment, the Working Group is elaborating directives for the training of the academic community for the execution of an ample residue diagnosis, with the objective of also mobilizing and publicizing the directives of the PGRUSP. The training and residue management plan construction presupposes learning about the practical issues of residue management. Data production and indicator construction will be the basis for the continuous and efficient implementation of this policy. For the ordering of the data a virtual platform is being developed. With such a platform, USP pretends to control generation, stocking, treatment and destination of Solid Residues produced in its academic units. It pretends with this database, to generate information that will permit the SGA to make decisions that will improve residue management in USP’s campi and, consequently, minimize environmental impacts caused in all levels of its activities.

Elaboration and Implementation of a Waste Management Policy at the University of São Paulo (USP)

The University of Sao Paulo (USP) is the largest university in Brazil and has developed independent environmental actions related to solid waste until 2012. This year, an Environmental Management Superintendence (SGA in Portuguese) was created in order to construct a Solid Waste Policy to the University. This policy was constructed in an innovative way, since it required a participatory process. The need for more articulation gave rise to the Environmental Management Superintendence (SGA in Portuguese) in 2012, so as to improve sustainability on the campi and change USP into a sustainability model. SGA has formed a work group on wastes under a participative process whose priority is to develop strategies and procedures for the elaboration and implementation of a Waste Management Policy (PGR/USP in Portuguese), as a response to the specificities of the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS in Portuguese)—Law n. 12.305/10 to the university needs. The PGR/USP contemplates the elaboration of Waste Management Plans for all units at USP and in order to plan it, a course for the staff, the elaboration of the plans and a data base, integrated with the University Corporative System, and indicators to evaluate and improve the management are foreseen. This study analyses the elaboration process and the implementation of the PGR so as to identify the opportunities to promote sustainability at universities by taking waste management as a starting point.

The Application of Ecological Footprint Analysis to Distance Learning University Contexts: A Case Study of the College of Education, University of South Africa

The Ecological Footprint (EF) analysis can be considered as an indicator for assessing the environmental impact of universities, since it indicates flow of natural resources consumption and waste generation caused by university activities. This paper presents the estimation of the EF at the College of Education (CEDU) of the University of South Africa (UNISA), a distance learning university. The environmental aspects considered for the EF calculations were electricity, water and paper consumption, transportation and built-up area. The results revealed that electricity consumption itself is the major component of CEDU´s EF. This study contributes to the field of environmental assessment based on footprint, providing methodological procedures that encourage future research to the almost unexplored field of EF studies applied to distance education universities.

Sustainability into the University of Sao Paulo (USP), São Carlos Engineering School (EESC)—Brazil

Nowadays, in the educational context, environmental issues demand a range of skills that professors and technicians are supposed to have in order to prepare undergraduate students for sustainability challenge. In this sense, this chapter aims to present the results obtained from an exploratory review about the activities developed at Engineering School of Sao Carlos (EESC) regarding sustainability integration in the campus. Thereby, the program entitled “Sustainable EESC”, created in 2011, was analyzed through three methodological procedures: an exploratory review about EESC initiatives, four phases to assess campus responses to sustainability and a SWOT analysis. The results show that EESC is developing five initiatives towards sustainability: Teaching and Training of Human Resources; Research and Innovation; Environmental Management; Community Extension; and Information and Communication. Although many EESC initiatives are found in the high leadership levels, especially in phases 3 and 4, some barriers still exist and need to be overcome in order to achieve better sustainability integration. Finally, it is expected that EESC experiences can support other universities that intend to become more sustainable.

Analysis of Sustainability Content into Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum at the Engineering School of Sao Carlos, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Nowadays it is important that universities contribute to improving society through sustainability, preparing future professionals with the knowledge, capabilities, values, attitudes and abilities to act on Sustainable Development (SD). In 2013, the Engineering School of Sao Carlos (EESC), University of Sao Paulo (USP), Brazil, and the Environmental Management Superintendent (EMS), initiated an education for sustainable development project, with the aim of analysing the content of nine undergraduate engineering curricula with a view proposing more environmental-oriented disciplines. In this context, the educational policy project was reviewed and a curriculum analysis done, using an analytical method consisting of the identification of sustainability radicals, such as soc*, sustent*, ecolog* and natur* was performed. The results show that Environmental Engineering courses present the largest sustainability integration with 57 % of environmental-oriented disciplines, followed by Production Engineering courses with 13 %. On average, not considering Environmental Engineering course, only 5.7 % of the EESC engineering courses include some sustainable content, which indicates the necessity for change to the curricula.

Students’ Views of Environmental Issues: The Experience of a Federal Brazilian University

Many tools have been used to measure and disseminate sustainable actions in universities, as shown by the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF 2008). In 2011, the University of Sao Paulo developed a virtual platform called Information, Awareness and Assessment of Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions to promote the participation of the university community (students, lecturers and administrative staff) in the assessment of sustainability in the university. The initiative later attracted the attention of other Brazilian universities. This work presents the results of the “sustainability test” applied to a group of students of the Federal University of Sao Carlos. In their opinion, the university should invest more in environmental education and improve management systems related to waste reuse/recycling and clean technologies. The views concerning these and other environmental issues have contributed to improve the actions of university managers and teachers towards a sustainable future.