To close the end of 2016, Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta ranks 76th on UI GreenMetric World University Ranking out of 516 universities in the world. Previously, UNS ranked 97th in 2015. UI GreenMetric World University Ranking is a worldwide university ranking based on 6 indicators, which are setting and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste, water, transportation, and education.
Head of Committee of UI Green Metric World University Ranking UNS, Ir. Winny Astuti, M.Sc, Ph.D explained that various efforts have been done by the team to reach this position. According to her, the efforts to improve facilities of the university and actions toward sustainable campus are not only the responsibility of university level officials but also the faculties’. “Those efforts are also directed to the faculties to conduct Green Campus competition. Faculties have the important roles such as deciding the supporting policies, fixing public spaces, and energy conservation,” she explained. Furthermore, Winny said that the efforts to realize green campus have been becoming the focus for the majors in other universities.
Overall Ranking 2016 Result from UI Green Metric Website
In order to uphold wise energy usage, Winny explained that UNS has done the annual energy audit. “So, we shouldn’t be careless in using energy. We must conserve the electricity as well as the water. If we’re not using the lamps, please turn them off, and use tap water sufficiently,” said Winny.
According to Ravik Karsidi, the rector of UNS, the improvement of the rank is the result of every stakeholder’s hardwork since UNS is placed among Universitas Indonesia (UI), Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), Universitas Diponegoro dan Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS). In the future, all development of UNS facilities will always uphold the green campus principles including the planned construction of Karanganyar and Wonogiri campus.
“Next year, we will be granted 126 hectares of land in Karanganyar to expand UNS campus area. Moreover, we are currently considering an offer to cooperate with the governor of Wonogiri to own the additional 40 hectares of land for campus development,” said Ravik. Aside from expanding green open spaces, according to Ravik, UNS will make an effort to construct energy saving buildings like UNS Hospital and UNS Library. UNS will also construct a number of supporting green campus infrastructures such as ponds, gardens, and sidewalks.
Think, Speak, Do
According to Winny, this new record of GreenMetric World University Ranking is supposed to reflect not only on rank, but also on behavioral change. “There are still a lot of things to do. We must push everyone to be aware of our behavioral changes. We must do campaigns on our daily activities by not only informing, but also showing how to do it. Think, speak, do.”
Universitas Sebelas Maret is listed in rank 76th of UI Green Metric 2016.
Winny elaborated that the campus society has a role to support this movement. She shows an example of activities that can be done such as reducing the use of motor vehicle. In return, people can go to campus by using campus bus, walking, or bicycle; reducing waste; utilizing SPAM (Sistem Pengolahan Air Minum — Drinking Water Processing System) by bringing personal reusable water bottle to campus and changing bottled water during meetings; reduce paper usage on documents. Obviously, all those efforts should go hand in hand with supporting policies. “If we care about our environment, the nature will become better,” said Winny. [hafizh.red.uns.ac.id]