Its highest score is for waste management, in particular for reducing the amounts of paper and plastic it uses, for its treatment of toxic waste and for its recycling programme

The UI GreenMetric World University ranking is compiled by the University of Indonesia and measures universities’ efforts to develop environmentally friendly infrastructures. Of the 719 universities evaluated in 2018, the URV has been placed in position 119, and in 12th place among the 28 universities in Spain. Specifically, the ranking is based on six indicators: configuration and infrastructure; energy and climate change; waste management; water, transport, and education.

The URV has an average of score for all these indicators of 63%. Its best individual score is 91.67% for waste management, in particular the reduction in the use of paper and plastic at its campuses, the treatment of organic, inorganic and toxic waste and its recycling programme. Education (73.61%) and installations and infrastructures (58.33%) are its two next highest scoring indicators. These are followed by energy and climate change (55.95%), transport (51.39%) and water management (35%). Not all the parameters have the same weight in the final score; that is, priority is given to waste management, education and energy and climate change.

Whether a university has a single or several campuses can have a significant effect on environmentally sustainable policies. However, through its Environment Plan, the URV implements a series of measures that contribute to the sustainable management of its campuses. For example, there is particular emphasis on the control of dangerous waste and on urban waste campaigns, on building control systems that optimise energy consumption, and on encouraging staff and students to use alternatives to private vehicles. Nevertheless, some of the most effective measures are beyond the university’s remit and instead need to be implemented by local, regional and national government.

The position of 119 in the UI GreenMetric World University ranking is the best yet for the URV since it was included in the list for the first time in 2013 in 250th position.