SATAT

FRAMEWORK FOR
ECO-FRIENDLY AND
SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS
DEVELOPMENT IN
HIGHER EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS

University Grants Commission

Bahadur Shah Zafar
Marg New Delhi - 110
002
SATAT
FRAMEWORK FOR
ECO-FRIENDLY AND
SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS
DEVELOPMENT IN
HIGHER EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS

University Grants Commission

Bahadur Shah Zafar
Marg New Delhi - 110
002
 © University Grants Commission
November,
July, 2019 2019

Published by : Secretary, University Grants Commission, Bahadur Shah

Zafar Marg, New Delhi- 110002

Designed by: : Dr. Manish Arora & Team

Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

Printed by : Chandu Press

D-97, Shakarpur, Delhi-110092
Ph. : +91 9810519841, 011-22526936
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Current scientific understanding indicates that humanity is rapidly altering the Earth’s ecological sys-
tems and consuming its natural resources in an unsustainable way. Resolving this crisis will require
total system transformation by adopting the principles of sustainability. Respect for life and living
within limits are two core principles to achieve this. We believe that higher education is in a unique
po- sition to lead this transformation. In fact, in the recent age, sustainability has become a critical
re- quirement for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) campuses. HEIs need to foster a culture of
sustain ability and promote green lifestyles in the campus community through curricular, co-
curricular and extra-curricular activities.
For meaningful and successful campus sustainability programs, clear strategies and goals must be
set and a comprehensive approach needs to be taken which not only integrate the built environment
but also goes beyond it and touches every aspect of learning, working, and living in campus.
Creation of a campus compatible with the surrounding natural and cultural environments,
integration of sus- tainable features into new building designs by adopting green building norms,
enhancement of water and energy use efficiency, utilization of materials, services and technologies
with less negative envi- ronmental impacts, efficient solid waste management are a few steps which
are essential for campus sustainability. However, the first step in the direction needs to be
sustainability initiatives tied to overall institutional strategy.
We understand that each (HEIs) has its unique environment and resources. Therefore, HEIs need to
develop their guidelines for campus sustainable development by adopting the proposed framework
in a locally appropriate way. The campus sustainability framework provided here aims to guide
HEIs to enable a sustainability transition with an aim to transform them into a “living laboratory” for
sus- tainable development. It is visualized that this initiative will formally integrate faculty, students
and support staff into university sustainability movement. Implementing this framework ‘SATAT’ is
a pro- cess of continual improvement in environmental, social and economic performance leading
towards sustainable development. Therefore, this is not a one time activity but a goal to be
achieved through incremental steps. I hope that our HEIs will adopt the ‘SATAT’ and contribute to
India’s journey towards fulfilling the promise made to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all the members of the Expert Committee for their
valuable contribution in developing a document on Campus Sustainability Framework in HEIs and
for completing the task well in time. I also acknowledge all the necessary support and for the
relevant inputs provided by Prof. Bhushan Patwardhan, Vice-Chairman, Prof. Rajnish Jain,
Secretary and
Dr. (Mrs.) Renu Batra, Additional Secretary, UGC.

New Delhi
November, 2019
 PREAMBLE
The 1972 Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm put
forward the concept of green school to draw attention to the education of
environment protection. The United Nation's World Commission on
Environment and Development Report of 1987 gave the concept of
sustainable development which meets “the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". It
was opposed to the economic development based on only growth
considerations which led to environmental threats, ranging from pollution,
acid rain, deforestation and desertification, the destruction of the ozone
layer, to early signs of climate change. In1990, the Talloires Declaration at
an international conference in France becomes the first official statement
mode by university administrators of a commitment to environmental
sustainability in higher education. The declaration was signed by over 300
university administrators in over 40 countries and contained a ten-point
action plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy in
teaching, research, operations and outreach at Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs). The Talloires Declaration highlights thot “Stabilization of
human population, adoption of environmentally sound industrial and
agricultural technologies, reforestation, and ecological restoration are
crucial elements in creating an equitable and sustainable future for all
humankind in harmony with nature. Universities have a major role in the
education, research, policy formation, and information exchange necessary
to make these goals possible.* It also emphasizes that “Universities educate
most of the people who develop and manage society's institutions. For this
reason, universities bear profound responsibilities to increase awareness,
knowledge, technologies, and tools to create an environmentally
sustainable future*.
In 1992, the UN conferencé on Environment and Development, held in Rio,
Brazil, redefined sustainable development as “improving the quality of
human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting

’*“'*’*
 ". Recognizing emerging environmental concerns, in1994 UNESCO initiated
the 'Education for Environment, Population and Sustainable Development"
project in tending to accelerate the environment improvement and social
sustainable development, by the environment education, population
education and sustainability education. Further, the United Nations
designated 2005— 2014 as the "Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development" with its overall goal 'to integrate the principles, values, and
practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and
learning..[and to] encourage changes in economic behaviour that will
create a more sustainable future in terms of environmental integrity,
economic vitality, and a just society for present and future generations.”

More recently, in 2008, G8 University Summit adopted the Sapporo

Sustainability Declaration which recognized that the current global
environmental crisis is far—reaching, complex, and characterized by a high
degree of uncertainty. It also emphasized that universities have an
important role in solving these sustainability challenges by educating future
generacions, doing sustainability research and policy analysis, and
disseminating the same to society and policymakers. The Declaration
highlights the function of the university campuses as on experimental
model for sustainability. Universities may themselves significantly impact to
the environment due to the high usage of energy, water, extensive
transportation, massive waste, high consumption of materials, and
extensive development of infrastructure including buildings and facilities.
Therefore, the development of “sustainable” or “green" HEI (Higher Education
Institutions) campuses can serve as both an experiment in progress and an
ideol tool for educoting future generations as well as o model for society.
They can also function as a ground for creativity and innovation for the
transformation needed to achieve the SDGs and Agenda 2030.

In 2015, India committed itself to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustòinable

Development. Therefore. it isa prime duty of Indian universities to align their
on and educational priorities around relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as good health and wellbeing (
clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7),
sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11}, responsible consumption and
production (SDG 12), climate action (SDG 13), life below water (SDG 14), and life on
Earth (sDG 15). Indian HEIs are a formidable force to transform Indian society just by
acting as a living example to emulate value, ethics and living practices for a
sustainable future. These can transform themselves as a sustainable campus by
minimizing their negative environmental, economic, and societal impact and using
their resources by judiciously. This transformation will provide a clean, healthy and
enjoyable campus environment that promotes reduces the ecological footprint.

Planning for sustainable HEI campuses of India is a challenging task, as it involves a

huge system consisting of a large number of universities and their affiliated colleges
varying hugely in size, location, climate, cultural trait, academic profile and history.
Currently 37 million students are enrolled in 863 universities and 39527 colleges
which vary widely in campus area, from three to four acres to several thousand
acres, in altitude from sea level to about 4000 m, in surrounding population from a
few thousand to 20 million or more and academic disciplines from one to more than
a hundred. A document of common norms for sustainability for such a
heterogeneous system is likely to have several limitations and may serve the
purpose meaningfully only when it evolves over time based on learning from
campus experiences. There are more than a hundred universities in the Indian
Himalayas where heating during winters and land instability may be the main issues
sustainability, unlike of the most other Indian universities which require energy for
cooling and transport. While some of the Himalayan universities have developed
amidst natural old—growth forests, in the plains universities have almost nothing of
the original vegetation.

Keeping the need of the hour in mind and acknowledging the level of diversity of
Indian HEI campuses, the University Grants Commission of India (UGC) has
endeavoured to integrate sustainability principles into campus operations,
developments and programme curricula to promote sustainability by proposing a
generic sustainable campus frame work to sets out the principles for achieving
green and sustainable campus environment.UGC believes that this initiative will
emerge as a criticolond necessary step forward in building a more sustainable
nation. by SDGs.