Corvinus University of Budapest has been recognised for its sustainability efforts with a prestigious award, named the most sustainably improved university on 12 December in the UI GreenMetric World Top Ranking, managed by the University of Indonesia. Corvinus entered the ranking for the second time this year and improved almost 300 places from last year’s ranking (869th to 577th), the biggest improvement in the world in 2022. A total of 11 universities from Hungary were ranked, with Corvinus ranking 9th this year.
“The award is both recognition and a responsibility to continue on the sustainability path we have started. By engaging and volunteering, we have managed to change our habits in order to operate more sustainably. To achieve significant change, we need to act together,” said Ákos Domahidi, Chancellor of Corvinus, at the online award ceremony.
Corvinus has further strengthened its sustainability efforts by establishing an Institute of Sustainable Development and an open platform for ethics, responsibility and sustainability projects (ERS Hub – Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability) as part of this year’s institutional restructuring, demonstrating the university’s commitment to the topic. Green aspects are also being mainstreamed in infrastructure developments. The University’s Ménesi campus, due to open next autumn, is the first higher education investment in Hungary to meet the stringent sustainability certification Leed Gold criteria and the AA+ rating for outstanding energy efficiency.
The institution, with the active involvement of the university community, has launched the Corvinus Green programme, which pays special attention to energy efficiency in operations, optimises the utilisation of buildings to reduce overheads, encourages staff to use jugs instead of plastic bottles on a voluntary basis, collects unused kitchen and office electrical equipment, and encourages the use of local lighting instead of general lighting where it is reasonable to do so.
UI GreenMetric’s green questionnaire covers six themes: location and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste, water, transport and education. Of these, energy and climate change are the most important (21%), while water management is the least important (10%). The world’s greenest university in 2022, maintaining its position from last year and the year before, is Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, followed this year by Nottingham Trent University in the UK and the University of Nottingham in the UK. Last year’s Most Sustainable University award went to Tilburg University in the Netherlands.
