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Sustainable development

With the approval, in 2003, of its first Sustainable Development Plan (SDP), the University of Santiago became a pioneering institution in social responsibility initiatives and, to this day, continues to be a reference among Spanish universities in sustainable development policies, gender equality, development cooperation and promotion of initiatives of social interest.

Campus of Lugo

The USC is institutionally committed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of Agenda 2030 approved by the United Nations and is preparing a new SDG in convergence with those environmental and social objectives aligned with the so-called 5 Ps (People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnerships), which will take into account specific actions in the areas of management and governance, training and teaching, research and social commitment.

The new SDP will be articulated around three areas:

  • Generation of knowledge and environmental education.
  • Environmental planning, management and assessment.
  • Environmental awareness and participation.

Within the framework of the Multi-annual Programming (2019-2022), the USC promotes the following actions:

  • USClima. Preparation of a climate action plan that takes into account actions for the registration and control of the ecological footprint and for its reduction, absorption and compensation, together with awareness-raising initiatives and support for the Climate Emergency Declaration and specific contents for the Teacher Training and Innovation Programme and the PALAS Training Plan, as well as the preparation of projects for the adaptation and mitigation of climate change to be presented in the calls of the Life and Interreg programmes of the European Union.
  • 0 Plastics Policy, to achieve an effective reduction in the amount of plastic used in the short and medium term. Agreements will be signed with cafeterias, canteens and vending machine dealers for this purpose.
  • Integrated life cycle policy in waste management (particularly for electrical and electronic equipment), with the drafting of a USC management guide, the inclusion of specific clauses in specifications and contracts and the development of awareness-raising campaigns.
  • Sustainable Campus. Interventions aimed at promoting changes in habits in order to reduce the consumption of energy, fuels and water, equip centres with new equipment, infrastructures and programmes that favour new types of mobility and create open work spaces.
  • Healthy and fair USC, with the aim of making university canteens and cafeterias a benchmark for sustainable food, with the extension of the Atlantic diet and the purchase of products from local and fair trade entities.
The contents of this page were updated on 10.28.2024.