A Green Index for Academia: Do Ranking Frameworks Need A Serious Rethink?

Most institutional ranking frameworks have ignored environmental impact as a parameter. However, there is now some interest globally in measuring it. Introduced in 2019, The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings is a global performance index that assesses universities against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

QS World University Rankings, compiled by higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds, launched the QS World University Rankings on Sustainability in 2022. However, these sustainability ranking frameworks are separate from the general university rankings. Institutional ranking frameworks must be based on a composite index incorporating green metrics as part of the regular rankings, not as a separate index.

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) by the Ministry of Education, GOI, focuses on teaching and learning, research and professional practices, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception. A closer look at the methodology reveals a lack of environment-academia connection. Ranking frameworks need a serious rethink.

University campuses serve as living laboratories for innovation. HEIs, especially those with residential and hostel facilities, are like mini-cities. They have classrooms, labs, offices, stadiums and sports arenas, parks and lawns, spaces for events, health centres or hospitals, canteens, shops, and banks, each with a significant environmental footprint. Being such microcosms of society, HEI best practices can serve as benchmarks for municipal authorities to plan city-wide interventions.

 Universities need to prioritise green action plans and climate change-related programs. Green initiatives at campuses may start with devising a method to map the institute's carbon footprint, for example, measuring air quality in and around the campus or whether the campus has energy conservation practices in place. Initiatives like a paperless office, a no-plastic policy, and reducing transport emissions are some of the measures that may be accounted for in rankings.

HEIs produce massive amounts of waste, including office, electronic, food, hospital, and garden waste. Waste management (including disposal, effluent treatment methods, composting units, waste converters and sewage treatment plants) is an essential environmental action. The recycling potential of campus waste is high.  Research shows that over 70 per cent of campus waste is recyclable or can be reduced. Academic institutions can bring about significant positive change by introducing waste minimisation and recycling approaches. Institutions can devise innovative recycling and upcycling approaches to move towards “zero waste” campuses.

Water consumption on campuses is egregiously high per capita. Bottled water, leaking pipes, water for swimming pools, and lawn irrigation further magnify the problem. Water-efficient appliances on the campus (e.g., sensor-based taps, eco flush, etc.), recycling wastewater for use in flushing, gardening, or cleaning purposes, and a mechanism for rainwater harvesting are critical measures for green campus initiatives.

Energy conservation practices merit critical attention. An energy audit may focus on electricity consumption, use of energy-efficient devices (star-rated appliances, efficient lights, etc.), reliance on renewable energy like solar power, and installing sub-meters to identify heavy energy consumption areas. HEIs must also follow green building standards that allow fresh air and natural light and help reduce energy costs.

Further, the percentage of green areas on the campus is another important metric. Tree cover and the type of plantation, including medicinal/herbal plants, high-oxygen vegetation, and indoor plantation, are important parameters.

The rising use of technology and AI has immense potential to remodel a campus into a green campus. Technologically driven solutions may be deployed for monitoring and control, for instance, shifting to sensor-based appliances that switch off when no movement is detected or installing smart alarms to detect energy waste or leaks.

HEIs should ensure that environment-responsive behaviours become part of the learning curriculum. Students are ambassadors of change. They carry the responsibility to create an environmentally sustainable future. Institutions can read them as conscientious decision-makers of tomorrow by giving them practical hands-on training through coursework, projects, or internships. Workshops and training sessions to sensitise and cultivate green behaviours and foster environmental learning should be considered key result areas.

One key factor that HEIs should use to their advantage is the potential for the academic community to reach out and engage with local communities to create awareness about sustainable behaviours. Local initiatives by HEIs towards environmental action can be key metrics for ranking frameworks.

Creating a green index for academic rankings may have challenges. Capturing data from educational institutions may be problematic initially. Setting a standard minimum threshold for participation may be required. Corrections may be incorporated as we move forward.

(Feza Tabassum Azmi is a Professor at the Faculty of Management Studies & Research, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. She is the author of Strategic Human Resource Management, Cambridge University Press, University of Cambridge, UK.)