scholarly journals Zero Carbon Program: A Legacy for a Sustainable Environment and for Higher Education Institutions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Toledo Machado Morais Junior ◽  
Laércio Antônio Gonçalves Jacovine ◽  
Eliana Boaventura Bernardes Moura Alves ◽  
Lauana Blenda Silva ◽  
Thaynara Pereira Albuquerque ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Sustainable Environment ◽  
Degraded Area ◽  
Bibliographic Data ◽  
Zero Carbon

Abstract Climate change is one of the biggest global concerns for scientists. Efforts to limit global temperature are still incipient. In Brazil, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can play a central role in achieving these efforts. In this sense, the objective is to show the Legacy of the Zero Carbon Program of the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) for society, science and environment, in 10 years of operation, with a main focus on the ecosystem service related to carbon off-set. A description of the history, emergence and organizational structure of Zero Carbon Program (CZP) was made, based on research carried out over 10 years of activity in the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. Five main methodological axes have been described to determine the current legacy of the program: (A) GHG Inventory during the Farmer’s Week (FW) at the UFV; (B) GHG neutralization during FW; (C) Development of GHG quantification and neutralization systems; (D) Collection of bibliographic data developed by the CZP; and (E) Survey of sensitized public. The results of the CZP showed that: 4,162 people became aware of the topic of climate change at and 26,186 people at other events; and those 63 scientific studies related were published. A total of 490.64 tCO2eq. GHG emissions were raised during the FW-UFV. Approximately 4,660 trees were planted in a degraded area in southeastern Brazil as a way to neutralize GHG from the event. The CZP presents opportunities for gains from ecosystem services related to responsive carbon management provided to different social actors.

scholarly journals Medical emergencies teaching in dentistry undergraduate courses in southeastern Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. e209247
Author(s):  
Luan Viana Faria ◽  
Yuri de Lima Medeiros ◽  
Danielle Fernandes Lopes ◽  
Eduardo Machado Vilela ◽  
Neuza Maria Souza Picorelli Assis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
Private Institutions ◽  
Positive Aspect ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Southeast Brazil ◽  
Medical Emergencies

Aim: The aim of this study is to offer an overview of the MedicalEmergencies (ME) discipline offer in Dentistry graduations insoutheastern Brazil and to observe the curricular characteristicsof the discipline when present. Methods: This cross-sectionaldocumentary study analyzed the available curricular frameworksin the official websites of Higher Education Institutions (HEI)in southeastern Brazil registered on the Ministry of Education’se-MEC website. The data were analyzed and tabulated using theGraphPad Prism 8.1.2 software, being described by absolute andrelative frequencies. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare theproportions between public and private institutions. Results:Of the 176 courses in the Southeast, 144 were included in thestudy for providing access to the curriculum, 19 (13.19%) werepublic and 125 (86.81%) were private. Only 27 (18.75%) of the HEIpresent the discipline of ME, with a greater tendency of supply inprivate HEIs (20.80%) when compared to public HEIs (5.26%),but this difference was not statistically significant (p> 0.05).As a positive aspect, the discipline is predominantly mandatory(88.88%), and the with regard to the teaching methodology ispredominantly theoretical (68.18%). The average workload is50.14 hours (SD=19.54). Conclusions: In only 18.75% of thedental institutions in Southeast Brazil, ME discipline were offered.When offered, the discipline is predominantly theoretical andmandatory. This study raises an important discussion regardingthe need to include specific and mandatory subjects on ME inthe dentistry curricula in Brazil and reflects the need to updateand standardize the national curricular guidelines for dentistry.

Project-Based Learning

2022 ◽  
pp. 242-262
Author(s):  
Laura Odila Bello Benavides ◽  
Gloria Elena Cruz Sánchez ◽  
Sandra Luz Meza Mesa Ortiz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Climate Change Education ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Continuous Support ◽  
Adaptation And Mitigation

This chapter presents the results and analysis of the design and development of a training program in climate change education (CCE) aimed at teachers of Normal colleges in Mexico (i.e., higher education institutions dedicated to the training of basic, preschool, primary, and secondary education). Its purpose was to incorporate CCE in the Normal colleges of the State of Veracruz, Mexico; it was materialized with a course workshop and follow-up actions in the implementation of CCE practices. The training proposal is based on the articulation of two conceptual axes: multidisciplinary knowledge on climate change and CCE approaches aimed at managing adaptation and mitigation response actions. From the systematization and analysis of the program, the authors concluded that the incorporation of the CCE as a transversal axis is a complex process that demands broader training processes and continuous support.

scholarly journals Achieving Sustainability and Carbon Neutrality in Higher Education Institutions: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 222
Author(s):  
Gaurangi Sen ◽  
Hing-Wah Chau ◽  
Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman Tariq ◽  
Nitin Muttil ◽  
Anne W. M. Ng
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Sustainable Future ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
Combat Climate Change ◽  
The Way

Universities and higher education institutions play an important role in achieving a sustainable future through their teaching and by undertaking cutting edge research to combat climate change. There have been several efforts towards a sustainable future and achieving carbon neutrality at higher education institutions in Australia and around the world. This study has reviewed the sustainability strategies of numerous universities in Australia and has identified as study cases six universities that are committed to and leading the implementation of initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality. The initiatives implemented at the selected universities were classified into eight “sustainability categories”, namely, built environment, energy, food and gardens, GHG emissions, natural environment, resource and waste management, transport, and water. Among the selected leading universities in sustainability, Charles Sturt University and the University of Tasmania (UTAS) are the only universities in Australia certified as carbon neutral. An interesting aspect of this review is the way in which universities are implementing sustainability initiatives in line with their mission and strategies. Despite striving towards the same end goal of achieving carbon neutrality, different institutions offer individually unique approaches towards sustainability. For example, UTAS values the creation, expansion and dissemination of knowledge and the promotion of continual learning, which is clearly demonstrated through its initiatives and policies. The findings in this review are critical in identifying those institutions of higher education which are role models in their strong commitment to achieving carbon neutrality. Such role model universities can pave the way for similar climate action at other universities.

Prevention of Air Pollution for Sustainable Environment

2019 ◽  
pp. 264-283
Author(s):  
Md. Mahfuzar Rahman Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Sustainable Environment ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Air pollution is the natural processes caused by human activities through which certain substances enter the atmosphere at a sufficient concentration to cause environmental pollution. The World Health Organization reported that 80% of the world's cases of heart disease and stroke deaths were due to air pollution, and a total of 7 million people in the world died of air pollution in 2012. Unplanned urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural activities contribute to air pollution. Climate change affects air pollution in a number of factors including changes in temperature, solar radiation, humidity, precipitation, atmospheric transport, and biogenic emissions. Increasing scientific evidence shows that air pollution and climate change policies must be integrated to achieve sustainable development and a low carbon (LC) society. Combined efforts to deal with air pollution and climate issues at the urban level will be particularly important as most people are exposed to air pollution, and 75% of global GHG emissions are generated in urban areas.

scholarly journals Investigating Spatiotemporal Variability of Water, Energy, and Carbon Flows: A Probabilistic Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation Framework for Higher Education Institutions

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Alghamdi ◽  
Guangji Hu ◽  
Gyan Chhipi-Shrestha ◽  
Husnain Haider ◽  
Kasun Hewage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Synthetic Evaluation

Higher education institutions (HEIs) consume significant energy and water and contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. HEIs are under pressure internally and externally to improve their overall performance on reducing GHG emissions within their boundaries. It is necessary to identify critical areas of high GHG emissions within a campus to help find solutions to improve the overall sustainability performance of the campus. An integrated probabilistic-fuzzy framework is developed to help universities address the uncertainty associated with the reporting of water, energy, and carbon (WEC) flows within a campus. The probabilistic assessment using Monte Carlo Simulations effectively addressed the aleatory uncertainties, due to the randomness in the variations of the recorded WEC usages, while the fuzzy synthetic evaluation addressed the epistemic uncertainties, due to vagueness in the linguistic variables associated with WEC benchmarks. The developed framework is applied to operational, academic, and residential buildings at the University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus). Three scenarios are analyzed, allocating the partial preference to water, or energy, or carbon. Furthermore, nine temporal seasons are generated to assess the variability, due to occupancy and climate changes. Finally, the aggregation is completed for the assessed buildings. The study reveals that climatic and type of buildings significantly affect the overall performance of a university. This study will help the sustainability centers and divisions in HEIs assess the spatiotemporal variability of WEC flows and effectively address the uncertainties to cover a wide range of human judgment.

scholarly journals A Matter of Responsible Management from Higher Education Institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Roos
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Academic Publications

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are influential social institutions which disseminate knowledge, promote innovation, and educate future decision-makers. The increasing awareness of HEIs as social actors has increased the pressure on them to accept and act upon their social responsibility. Processing this responsibility requires a structured management approach. The little attention given thus far to management performance and structured steering processes of social responsibility in HEIs marks the research gap the present study is focused on. This article provides a systematic review of scientific and academic publications, applying the concept of Social Performance after Wood (1991). The study aims to combine different research and modeling approaches to examine individual elements of social performance along the dimensions of processes of social responsiveness and outcomes of institutional behavior. With this approach, the study aims to answer the question of how HEIs assume their responsibilities as social institutions. The results show that observable outcomes of social behavior in the academic environment reflect a broad understanding of different approaches. By clustering the encoded literature into processes and outcomes, the study structures the fragmented body of research reflecting the various characteristics of the higher education sector.

Holistic renovation of historic and heritage buildings: comparing New Zealand and international scenarios

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Paschoalin ◽  
Nigel Isaacs
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Cultural Significance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Built Heritage ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
Zero Carbon

PurposeHolistic renovation of historic and heritage buildings involving different stakeholders has the potential to reduce environmental impact. Climate change concerns are emphasizing environmental issues of cultural built heritage leading to new policies, guidelines and methods dealing with the challenge on how to lessen the environmental impact of built heritage without damaging its cultural significance. The purpose of this paper is to review existing international and New Zealand holistic guidelines for renovation of historic and heritage buildings.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review is used to identify international projects, methods and criteria within the holistic approach. Secondly, the New Zealand context is explored and compared with best international practices.FindingsFor instance, in New Zealand one increasingly important issue is the many vacant heritage and historic buildings in provincial town centres that need action to deal with building code seismic changes. Upgrades and adaptive reuse are opportunities to make them more sustainable and climate change resilient. However, the lack of national holistic guidelines regarding the challenge of reducing environmental impact whilst keeping the heritage values is a critical gap which urgently needs to be resolved. The need is further increased within the context of the recently passed Zero Carbon Act 2019, which aims for national zero carbon emissions by 2050.Originality/valueThese shared responsibilities for conserving historic and heritage buildings to maintain life in provincial towns on one hand, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the other, have the potential to contribute to a sustainable development of cities and communities.

scholarly journals Carbon Management in UK Higher Education Institutions: An Overview

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10896
Author(s):  
Ebiyon Idundun ◽  
Andrew S. Hursthouse ◽  
Iain McLellan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Carbon Management ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Industrialization Process ◽  
Uk Higher Education

The paper presents a review of carbon management in relation to UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), forms part of a wider study on the ongoing reliance on fossil fuels in Scotland’s public sector with a focus on Universities and Local Government Authorities. It compares the CF (carbon footprint), emission sources, and the fossil fuel contribution to the CFs reported in 3 identified articles relating specifically to the estimation of CF for HEIs. The consumption of fossil fuels results in human induced climate change however, fossil fuels boosted the industrialization process and remains the dominant source of global energy consumption. Action in tackling climate change has led to organizations coming under increasing pressures to monitor and report their CFs. HEIs have a key role to play in reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and reducing GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions through delivery of scientific research and innovative carbon management solutions, increase in its uptake of renewable energy technologies, educating and training future leaders, and raising public awareness, in contribution to a sustainable society. This paper highlights the need for a shift of focus to reducing fossil fuel reliance in response to climate change and demonstrates how HEIs can impact GHG reductions.

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