Transforming Higher Education through Green Campus and UI GreenMetric

Abstract

Global environmental changes, including global warming, environmental degradation, and ecological crises, demand sustainable development that integrates social, economic, and environmental dimensions. Higher education institutions play a strategic role as agents of social, intellectual, and technological change in realizing sustainable development through the implementation of the green campus concept. One of the key instruments to assess sustainability in universities is UI GreenMetric, which evaluates institutional commitment to the environment through indicators such as education, research, energy management, waste management, and sustainability innovation. Environmental education is a crucial element in shaping students’ knowledge, attitudes, and environmentally responsible behavior. Environmental knowledge has been proven to correlate positively with attitudes toward environmental conservation, making sustainability integration into curricula an urgent necessity. Moreover, the socio-engineering approach is required to foster the transformation of students’ mindsets toward greater environmental concern. This article discusses the green campus concept, the role of UI GreenMetric, the integration of sustainability education, and the socio-engineering approach in creating environmentally friendly higher education ecosystems.