Toward a Greener University: Some lessons from the Brazilian experience

Abstract

Advancement of environmental awareness requires fundamental involvement from the educational sphere. It necessitates a multidisciplinary focus that incorporates environmental subjects into a range of activities, including teaching, research, and the extension of environmental progress to the larger society. Universities thus have an important role to play in promoting society’s environmental consciousness. Many examples can be found of universities that are transforming themselves to include the environmental dimension in their activities. Accounts of these experiences are now receiving attention in environmental journals. Within this context, the present article discusses environmental management activities at the University of São Paulo (USP), which are carried out through a program called “USP Recicla.”  Motivation for This Case Study: USP offers a useful and important model for study. It is the largest public university in Brazil and plays a prominent role in the educational arena. As a result, environmental management approaches developed at USP tend to influence the practices of other educational institutions in Brazil and throughout Latin America. Published studies involving the environmental practices of public institutions like USP are less common than those about private entities. Thus, the current article can help fill a gap in knowledge about environmental administration at large organizations.