IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i11p5959-d561838.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Combining Management, Education and Participation for the Transformation of Universities towards Sustainability: The Trébol Programme

Author

Listed:
  • Antonio Gomera

    (Environmental Protection Office (SEPA), Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
    Sustainability Office, Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain)

  • Ana de Toro

    (Environmental Protection Office (SEPA), Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain)

  • José Emilio Aguilar

    (Environmental Protection Office (SEPA), Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain)

  • Clara Guijarro

    (Environmental Protection Office (SEPA), Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain)

  • Miguel Antúnez

    (Sustainability Office, Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain)

  • Manuel Vaquero-Abellán

    (Environmental Protection Office (SEPA), Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
    Sustainability Office, Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain)

Abstract

This article presents the design and development of the ‘Trébol (Clover) Programme’, a tool which allows us to improve environmental sustainability in the university environment by reinforcing the education, awareness, and training of its members. The system for certifying ‘good practice’ is divided into four progressive levels, and a certificate is awarded in order to demonstrate the environmental commitment acquired to third parties. The aim of the whole process is to create a practical forum for participation, communication, motivation and competence, which is necessary to foster effective pro-environmental behaviour. The study took place at the University of Córdoba (Spain), and, since it began in the 2013/2014 academic year, over 50 groups a wide range of areas have taken part, making a total of nearly 600 participants. The results show that the Trébol Programme enables environmental commitment to be put into practice, through continuous, systematised, participative and well-organised improvements in environmental performance. Its potential as an educational resource for environmental improvement should also be noted, by boosting environmental awareness and establishing new norms. It fits in well with the principles and areas of action of Education for Sustainable Development, and can be applied to universities and other settings to bring about a shift towards sustainability in the fields of teaching, research and management.

Suggested Citation

  • Antonio Gomera & Ana de Toro & José Emilio Aguilar & Clara Guijarro & Miguel Antúnez & Manuel Vaquero-Abellán, 2021. "Combining Management, Education and Participation for the Transformation of Universities towards Sustainability: The Trébol Programme," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:11:p:5959-:d:561838
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/11/5959/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/11/5959/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vasiliki Kioupi & Nikolaos Voulvoulis, 2020. "Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Assessing the Contribution of Higher Education Programmes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    3. Antonio Gomera & Miguel Antúnez & Francisco Villamandos, 2020. "Universities That Learn to Tackle the Challenges of Sustainability: Case Study of the University of Córdoba (Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-20, August.
    4. Niccolucci, Valentina & Pulselli, Federico M. & Tiezzi, Enzo, 2007. "Strengthening the threshold hypothesis: Economic and biophysical limits to growth," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(4), pages 667-672, February.
    5. Walter Leal Filho & Kay Emblen-Perry & Petra Molthan-Hill & Mark Mifsud & Leendert Verhoef & Ulisses Miranda Azeiteiro & Paula Bacelar-Nicolau & Luiza Olim de Sousa & Paula Castro & Ali Beynaghi & Jen, 2019. "Implementing Innovation on Environmental Sustainability at Universities Around the World," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-16, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. María-Carmen Ricoy & Cristina Sánchez-Martínez, 2022. "Raising Ecological Awareness and Digital Literacy in Primary School Children through Gamification," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-19, January.
    2. Antonio Guerrero-Lucendo & Fuensanta García-Orenes & Jose Navarro-Pedreño & David Alba-Hidalgo, 2022. "General Mapping of the Environmental Performance in Climate Change Mitigation of Spanish Universities through a Standardized Carbon Footprint Calculation Tool," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-24, September.
    3. Gemma Tejedor & Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Jordi Segalàs, 2022. "Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education-Introduction to a Special Issue," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-6, August.
    4. Artem Artyukhov & Iurii Volk & Agnieszka Surowiec & Sylwia Skrzypek-Ahmed & Kseniia Bliumska-Danko & Oleksandr Dluhopolskyi & Volodymyr Shablystyi, 2022. "Quality of Education and Science in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals—From Millennium Goals to Agenda 2030: Factors of Innovation Activity and Socio-Economic Impact," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-11, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Caitlin K. Kirby & Adam Zwickle, 2021. "Sustainability behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge: comparing university students and the general public," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(4), pages 639-647, December.
    2. Davina Mann & Janelle Kwon & Shaan Naughton & Sinead Boylan & Jasmine Chan & Karen Charlton & Jane Dancey & Carolyn Dent & Amanda Grech & Victoria Hobbs & Sophie Lamond & Sandra Murray & Melissa Yong , 2021. "Development of the University Food Environment Assessment (Uni-Food) Tool and Process to Benchmark the Healthiness, Equity, and Environmental Sustainability of University Food Environments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-17, November.
    3. Maria Andersson & Ola Eriksson & Chris Von Borgstede, 2012. "The Effects of Environmental Management Systems on Source Separation in the Work and Home Settings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(6), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Tran Huy Phuong & Thanh Trung Hieu, 2015. "Predictors of Entrepreneurial Intentions of Undergraduate Students in Vietnam: An Empirical Study," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 5(8), pages 46-55, August.
    5. Clara Cardone-Riportella & María José Casasola-Martinez & Isabel Feito-Ruiz, 2014. "Do Entrepreneurs Come From Venus Or Mars? Impact Of Postgraduate Studies: Gender And Family Business Background," Working Papers 14.04, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Financial Economics and Accounting (former Department of Business Administration), revised Sep 2014.
    6. Peng Cheng & Zhe Ouyang & Yang Liu, 0. "The effect of information overload on the intention of consumers to adopt electric vehicles," Transportation, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-20.
    7. Ruijie Zhu & Guojing Zhao & Zehai Long & Yangjie Huang & Zhaoxin Huang, 2022. "Entrepreneurship or Employment? A Survey of College Students’ Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-15, May.
    8. Alsalem, Amani & Fry, Marie-Louise & Thaichon, Park, 2020. "To donate or to waste it: Understanding posthumous organ donation attitude," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 87-97.
    9. Pan, Jing Yu & Liu, Dahai, 2022. "Mask-wearing intentions on airplanes during COVID-19 – Application of theory of planned behavior model," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 32-44.
    10. Benoît Lécureux & Adrien Bonnet & Ouassim Manout & Jaâfar Berrada & Louafi Bouzouina, 2022. "Acceptance of Shared Autonomous Vehicles: A Literature Review of stated choice experiments," Working Papers hal-03814947, HAL.
    11. Jacqueline Ruth & Steffen Willwacher & Oliver Korn, 2022. "Acceptance of Digital Sports: A Study Showing the Rising Acceptance of Digital Health Activities Due to the SARS-CoV-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-16, January.
    12. Jariyasunant, Jerald & Carrel, Andre & Ekambaram, Venkatesan & Gaker, David & Sengupta, Raja & Walker, Joan L., 2012. "The Quantified Traveler: Changing transport behavior with personalized travel data feedback," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt3047k0dw, University of California Transportation Center.
    13. Brown, Philip & Roper, Simon, 2017. "Innovation and networks in New Zealand farming," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 61(3), July.
    14. Teodora Roman, 2009. "Study regarding entrepreneurial intentions among students," THE YEARBOOK OF THE "GH. ZANE" INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC RESEARCHES, Gheorghe Zane Institute for Economic and Social Research ( from THE ROMANIAN ACADEMY, JASSY BRANCH), vol. 18, pages 87-94.
    15. Messele Kumilachew Aga, 2023. "The mediating role of perceived behavioral control in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions of university students in Ethiopia," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, December.
    16. Kristin Thomas & Evalill Nilsson & Karin Festin & Pontus Henriksson & Mats Lowén & Marie Löf & Margareta Kristenson, 2020. "Associations of Psychosocial Factors with Multiple Health Behaviors: A Population-Based Study of Middle-Aged Men and Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-17, February.
    17. Andreas Falke & Nadine Schröder & Claudia Hofmann, 2022. "The influence of values in sustainable consumption among millennials," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 92(6), pages 899-928, August.
    18. Kamruzzaman, Md. & Baker, Douglas & Washington, Simon & Turrell, Gavin, 2013. "Residential dissonance and mode choice," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 12-28.
    19. Ficko, Andrej & Boncina, Andrej, 2013. "Probabilistic typology of management decision making in private forest properties," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 34-43.
    20. Muhammad Shahid Qureshi & Saadat Saeed & Syed Waleed Mehmood Wasti, 2016. "The impact of various entrepreneurial interventions during the business plan competition on the entrepreneur identity aspirations of participants," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 6(1), pages 1-18, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:11:p:5959-:d:561838. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.