How are universities turning sustainability ambitions into action? A survey conducted by the University of Innsbruck (UIBK) across the Aurora Universities Alliance provides a snapshot of the approaches being taken across the alliance. While universities operate in different contexts, the examples reveal a common ambition: to make sustainability part of how universities are managed, how campuses are used and how their communities participate.
From commitments to concrete action
For many universities, sustainability starts with creating structures that turn broad commitments into concrete measures. Copenhagen Business School (CBS), for example, has brought areas such as energy, mobility, waste, procurement and biodiversity together in a Sustainability Action Plan, supported by a Green Dashboard to monitor progress. A similarly structured approach can be found at Palacký University Olomouc (UPOL), where two-year action plans define specific measures, targets, budgets and responsibilities. Sustainability ambassadors in the faculties help connect these university-wide goals with local action.
Other approaches focus on individual areas where universities can make a tangible difference. An Energy Efficiency Plan at the University of Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) combines technical improvements such as LED lighting and building management systems with changes in building use and everyday behaviour. Its sustainable procurement framework, SPASER, also seeks to integrate environmental and social criteria into purchasing decisions.
Using the campus as a place to experiment
University campuses can themselves become laboratories for sustainability. One example is CBS Permahaven, where an under-used area has been transformed into a regenerative garden combining biodiversity, community and learning. More than 100 registered volunteers have been involved, and the space has hosted workshops and teaching activities.
Students and teachers at UPEC have contributed to biodiversity inventories covering flora, fauna and soils, helping to build a better understanding of the university’s natural environment. Meanwhile, the University of Iceland (UICE) is developing a campus-wide LoRaWAN sensor network to collect data on electricity consumption, room occupancy and environmental conditions. This data is intended to support more informed decisions about energy use and university spaces.
Changing everyday practices
Sustainability also takes shape through everyday activities. At UPEC, a university-wide mobility survey has informed its Mobility Plan, alongside practical measures such as carpooling, cycling challenges and bike repair workshops. The workshops regularly reach capacity, with around 30 participants per session, giving members of the university community the opportunity to maintain their bikes and learn how to repair them themselves. A solidarity bicycle programme also helps students access affordable second-hand bicycles. A different kind of everyday intervention is the Movement Challenge at UPOL, which encourages students and staff to incorporate more physical activity into their daily routines. Together, such initiatives show how changes in everyday behaviour can be supported through simple, participatory activities. The UICE is also addressing resource use through improved recycling systems, composting and a Waste AI system designed to analyse waste-related invoices and identify major cost streams. Technology, infrastructure and participation can thus complement one another in changing how resources are used on campus.
Making sustainability a community effort
The survey also highlights the role of students and university communities in shaping change. The UIBK’s student-run Green Office supports activities such as Sustainability Week and provides the SOFA Room as a space for community events, creative projects and food sharing. At UPEC, Student Citizens’ Conventions bring around 500 students into discussions on environmental and social issues each year. The process has contributed to initiatives ranging from eco-delegate roles to measures supporting affordable sustainable food.
Across the Aurora Alliance, these examples show that there is no single model for a sustainable university. Strategies and reporting, data and technology, practical campus projects and participation can all play a role — often reinforcing one another. The common thread is a shift from sustainability as an ambition towards sustainability as an ongoing practice: setting goals, testing solutions, measuring progress and involving the university community along the way.
