RUS – The Italian Network of Universities for Sustainability

The vision

• Fundamental role of research and education for

envisioning and shaping change

• Holistic / interdisciplinar / multidisciplinar approach

required for effective action

• Universities as “anchor institutions”

• Transformative

• Responsive

• Demand-lead

Structures and infrastructures

People, ideas and behaviours

Top-down Bottom-up

vs

Sustainabililty in Universities

• Accelerate progress towards an institutionalized commitment to sustainability to achieve the SDGs • set a shared framework for sustainability metrics,

data collection quality and quantity, mapping of transferrable sustainable practices

• Foster sustainability education and research, in recognition of their fundamental role in achieving the SDGs.

• Disseminate sustainability culture and promote the active engagement of all urban stakeholders on a gradual commitment towards green growth

The RUS experience – objectives

The RUS experience – action plan

Activities organized around thematic subjects • Mobility• Energy• Waste• . . .

Coordination by corresponding panels • strategic management tools

Periodic evaluation and assessment • meetings among participant

The RUS experience – existing best practices • Living Labs: stakholder engagement. Politecnico di Torino,

Bologna, Politecnico di Milano e Università di Milano;• AlmaLowCarbon: multidisciplinary research on energy and

environmental sustainability for the transition towards a “low carbon” society. University of Bologna;

• Green public procurement: Ca’ Foscari and Politecnico di Torino;

• NeSSO, internal university network for the impementation of Sustainable Practices, University of Siena;

• Waste programs: smart waste collectors waste monitoring programs. Politecnico di Milano and Milano Bicocca;

• Carbon Management, Ca Foscari and Milano Bicocca;• Environmental Education Center, University of Bari “Aldo

Moro”

The RUS experience – state of the union

• In 2013 a group of 12 Italian Universities started a coordinated action for the implementation of sustainability in their organization and the creation of sustainable campuses.

• During 2015, after the endorsement by CRUI, about 50 Italian Universities formalized their expression of interest in being part of the network.

• Formal agreement establishing RUS to be submitted to the Italian University Rectors Committee in the coming weeks.

• RUS will be operating starting June 2016