Green Metric in Higher Education- Measuring and Reporting on Sustainability Initiatives at Higher Education Institutions

The need for green metrics, or environmental metrics, stems from the growing awareness and urgency to address environmental issues. Green metrics help in quantifying the impact of human activities on the environment. This includes measuring carbon footprints, water usage, waste generation, and pollution levels. By providing tangible data, these metrics guide individuals, businesses, and governments in making more sustainable decisions. They highlight areas where environmental impact can be reduced. Also, green metrics are crucial for tracking progress towards environmental goals, such as those set by the Paris Agreement or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Against this backdrop and in order to facilitate a broad discussion on the contribution of universities towards sustainability, this book is being produced.

The book gathers inputs from universities and research organisations working on matters related to sustainable development and green metrics, in a variety of contexts. It also provides a platform for the dissemination of information on the latest initiatives.Furthermore, the book intends to provide a fertile basis upon which universities may cooperate more closely in this key area. Last but not least, a further aim of the book is to present methodological approaches and experiences deriving from case studies and projects, which aim to show how green metrics may be incorporated as part of university programmes.