Contribution of university to environmental energy sustainability in the city

Abstract

The environmental energy sustainability of universities has aroused great interest in recent years. In this study, environmental impact assessment tools are used to analyse the environmental impacts of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) since 2015 and to identify reform scenarios to make the university more sustainable. University campuses can be considered to be small cities that impact the environment of the cities where they are located. The environmental impacts of the UPV/EHU Gipuzkoa campus and the impacts on the city of Donostia-San Sebastian in which the university is located are analysed. The environmental impacts are calculated using simulation tools based on three-dimensional models of the university campus and the city. These results are compared with actual impact results from monitoring. The simulation results differ from the monitoring results but provide a rapid determination of the best future scenarios for a more sustainable university by taking the impacts on the city into account. This study enables the university to align its efforts with the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.