Ranking of Eco-Friendly Universities in Japan Released

The Campus Climate Challenge Executive Committee released on September 15, 2009, the results of its first initiative to rank the environmental efforts of Japanese universities. The committee consists of the Japan Youth Ecology League, an environmental non-governmental organization, and other college green activity groups. The objectives of the ranking are to evaluate universities' environmental measures as well as to publicize the high-ranking universities' environmental initiatives.

The survey was conducted between May and July 2009, by sending a questionnaire to a total of 334 national, public and private universities. The questionnaire comprised three main categories: carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption; active environmental measures; and environmental education for students. The committee received responses from 107 universities, which represented a response ratio of 32 percent.

According to the results, the three most environmentally-active universities are all national or public universities. Iwate University topped the list with a score of 107 out of 125 points, followed by Kyushu Institute of Technology (98 points) and Yamagata University (96 points). Among private universities, Ferris University was at the top with 87 points.

The results also showed that about 40 percent of the responding universities are utilizing alternative energy, about 80 percent of them are using energy-saving lighting, and a little less than 20 percent of them have made environmental education classes mandatory. The total amount of annual carbon dioxide emissions from the 107 responding universities is approximately 1.3 million tons, which accounts for 0.1 percent of Japan's total emissions.

What is Campus Climate Challenge?
http://ccc.eco-2000.net/eng

Posted: 2010/01/15 06:00:15 AM