Naoki Takahashi

Endorsing campus energy management

Principal Consultant

“Ranking first among national universities is Iwate University, and among private universities is Ferris University.” Do you know what’s being ranked here? These are the results of the “First Eco-University Ranking” announced by the environmental NGO, Eco-League, which is made up of students and student environmental groups from around Japan. Based on a questionnaire to universities, points were tallied for conditions such as current CO2 emissions, environmental measures under implementation, and state of environmental education. Although this has not yet become an item included in university evaluation by outside parties, in the near future this kind of environmental assessment may become an important matter of concern to university stakeholders, aligning with the situation of university finances, education, and employment after graduation. Currently, the focus of many universities is on addressing immediate matters such as renewing facilities, and they have not made plans such as reducing CO2 emissions based on mid- to long-term perspectives. It would be desirable for them to analyze their current state of CO2 emissions, formulate an annual plan for reducing these emissions, and have continuous measures to steadily implement these plans.