WWF awards Lapland Varsity for green activism

The global environmental group WWF has awarded the Green Office label to the main campus of University of Lapland. The award signifies that the university belongs to a network which aims and consciously tries to reduce the ecological footprint, and carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from its operations.

The WWF Green Office is a practical environmental management system for offices. In Finland, the Green Office network covers a total of 156 member-organisations.

According to the University of Lapland’s Green Office contact Hanne Alajoutsijärvi, the network aims to influence the involvement of the university in mitigating climate change and preserving biodiversity in the Arctic.

“The University of Lapland’s environmental management system was built into the largest units on its main campus and will be extended to other operational points in the future,” Alajoutsijärvi said.

The university has undertaken a three-year environmental programme with the key aims of bringing down energy and water consumption as well as the volume of combustibles and landfill waste on its campus.

However, “We aim to minimise the environmental impacts of such measures so that they do not impair working or studying conditions,” said Alajoutsijärvi.

The environmental-friendly activities are intended to become a natural part of the university’s operational culture. It is relevant to every employee’s and every student’s everyday choices, but it also allows for a lot of space for variety.

“We have paid particular attention to recycling and improving waste-sorting, and we have made our own guidelines for the campus waste,” added Alajoutsijärvi.