Sustainable Logistic Management Plan as an alternative to minimize budget difficulties of Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Brazil has increased its scientific production in the past four decades, with public universities playing a major role in scientific and technological research in the country. Recent cuts in governmental budgets to these institutions put them at risk of closing down, impacting not only education, but also research and development in the country, thus threatening the future of the national science and technology system. Sustainable actions may help universities to overcome this crisis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of the implementation, in 2008, of a Sustainable Logistic Management Plan (SLP) at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA). Indicators were collected by UFCSPA Environmental Management Commission (EMC) and were publicly available. The study analyzed indicators such as water and energy consumption and special waste production to assess trends in environmental aspects and their respective impacts. The number of graduate and undergraduate courses at UFCSPA increased during the period, therefore most indicators showed an increase in resource consumption in absolute values. However, a decrease was observed when consumption was analyzed per capita. Accordingly, overall consumption of electricity increased 143% from 2008 to 2020, whereas a reduction per capita was observed. Special waste production increased 46% from 2013 to 2020, but per capita production remained stable and water consumption, despite having an average annual increase of 8%, also had a per capita reduction. This study shows how sustainable actions implemented by UFCSPA affected the use of resources, reducing the consumption of water, electricity, disposable materials, and waste per capita. Therefore, we can conclude that the actions implemented by the university in 2008 and monitored by the EMC in the SLP contributed significantly to achieving financial balance in the institution.