Environmental management policies in the Higher Education (HE) sector: quantified aspects from 5 case-studies in France under the ECOCAMPUS initiative

Panel: Panel 1: Assessment of Energy Efficiency Policy

Authors:
Jean-François Bonnet, University of Bordeaux 1
C. Devel, University of Bordeaux 1
Ph. Lagière, University of Bordeaux 1
Patrick Faucher, University of Bordeaux 1
Jacques Roturier, University of Bordeaux 1

Abstract

Many facts or evidence and programmes of action concerning the protection of the environment rely on data collected and analysed in higher education institutions. However, it is only recently that, through some kind of a "spin-off effect", world wide scientists became aware of implementing any of the Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in situ i.e. in their own workplace. The main purpose of the ECOCAMPUS initiative is then to demonstrate the benefits resulting from a more coherent "What-We-Preach"/"What-We-Do" attitude.

A triple goal has been assigned to the EWW field of measurements and analysis -

energy, including electricity, supply and demand (E)
water demand (W)
waste generation and management (W). A key piece of the ECOCAMPUS paradigm, the EWW methodology, is no doubt a very efficient choice as long as both top managers or decision-makers and academic staff can be convinced to shift from the common "laissez-faire" to a voluntary policy.

In a partnership with Ademe, the present study is the preliminary part of a broader programme, aiming to install, in the mid-range, the ECOCAMPUS initiative as a standard managing rule. In a further step, pilot operations are to be performed in about a dozen different campuses between 2001 and 2003, not ignoring however many obstacles that deserve to be further analysed. These are some of the goals of the present first step mainly performed during the year 2000. Data from four places are analysed here: two are public universities, located in the west and south of France, one is an engineering department from a private polytechnical college in the Paris area ; the last one, located in the Bordeaux Region, investigates students lodging services and catering facilities. All these data, also including previous results from the campus of the University of Bordeaux, represent a very significant, and as far as we know in Europe, the largest sample available. Concerning about 100 000 students and related academic staff, these 5 campuses consume 75 GWh of electricity, 2 millions m3 of water, and generate tons of miscellaneous (municipal-like, industrial and toxic) wastes.

Obviously aiming to optimise both the use of electricity and water, the analysis also includes a rough estimate of the energy and water conservation potential and a preliminary assessment of the "Why-How" possible solutions for better environment programmes. The production of waste, systematically kept in mind, is not as thoroughly investigated in this present paper as energy and water use. As a concluding remark, two links between the present work and recent energy policy trends are very briefly discussed from both a domestic and a post-Kyoto point-of-view, namely the so-called Clean Development Mechanisms.