Key Performance Indicators to optimize the environmental performance of Higher Education Institutions with environmental management system – A case study of Universitat Politècnica de València

Abstract

Abstract Environmental performance is becoming increasingly important to organizational decision-making boards. As with other organizations, Higher Education Institutions concerned with environmental performance require tools to help develop appropriate policies and programs. Key Performance Indicators are typically a component of economic and financial decision-making. Defining Key Performance Indicators for relevant environmental aspects of an institution can be seen as a step toward integrating environmental issues into overall management. In this paper, a methodology is proposed to define environmental Key Performance Indicators for Higher Education Institutions with a robust Environmental Management System (International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certified or Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) verified), and this methodology is coupled with a validation system based on meta-performance evaluation indicators. The proposal is based on the relative significance of various environmental aspects and the degree of operational control that an organization has over each aspect. The methodology is developed to be easy to applied, minimum time and resource consumption) and integrate in an existent Environmental Management System. It starts with a standard procedure to define the organization allowing its application to any type of Higher Education Institution. Additionally, a list of over 140 environmental indicators, described and classified, is offered. An environmental unit, Escuela Politecnica Superior de Alcoy (EPSA), of Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, EMAS verified, is used as a case study. From the study, seven Key Performance Indicators are defined, and three of these are fully assessed. Energy consumption, waste management treatment, and greenhouse gas emissions are the key elements of these three indicators. Institutions with robust Environmental Management Systems have significant advantages in identifying relevant environmental aspects and defining goals to begin defining Key Performance Indicators. However, Environmental Management Systems do not themselves ensure that data are available, nor that they are of the quality desired. In the case study, additional resources are required to generate Key Performance Indicators to assess significant environmental aspects. Securing those additional resources would benefit both the Environmental Management System and the organizational decision-makers.