An Agenda for Action: Inspiration for the Green Universities in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The escalating attention over the environmental issues and the impact on the nature by human activities has triggered an impulsive concern over the preserving of natural resources for future generations. Thus, the concept of sustainable development has arrived in that regard while emphasizing the commitment of people and organizations in various sectors. One of the requirements such organizations need when striding towards sustainable development is the environmental compliance, which persuades for green practices. Higher education institutes are a proper place for introducing such green practices with a futuristic view. The Green University concept has emanated with new aspirations for universities to become environmentally friendly especially in terms of their university operations. The trend of converting themselves to green universities has approached to the doorsteps of the Sri Lankan state university system, where the acceptance will be no exception. Though green university practices are in practice for many years in other some other countries, Sri Lankan state university system has to adapt it as a new concept. Being public organizations, the Sri Lankan state universities have to coordinate the existing regulations and traditions with the process of the converting university operations in to green practices. This paper addresses the experiences of green university practices and issues, had by different foreign universities based on a literature review. This methodology involves three components; which are description of the green practices, comparison of different initiatives and suggestions for Sri Lankan universities. The suggestions are made with an eye to building an agenda for Sri Lankan state universities in transforming in to green universities. The main objective of this paper is to propose guidance for the Sri Lankan state universities in converting themselves into green universities. The proposed agenda is based on a literature review made on research work and case studies done on foreign green universities.