The Role of Green Areas in University Campuses: Contribution to SDG 4 and SDG 15

Abstract

Considering the importance of green areas for sustainability, universities have great potential to contribute to it while improving the use of green spaces in their campuses. By doing so, universities are also contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 15, which seeks the protection of forests and biodiversity and their sustainable management, and SDG 4, which aims to ensure qualitative education, by promoting a culture of environmental awareness in students. Thus, this paper aims to highlight the role which green areas in university campuses play in the promotion and integration of SDGs 4 and 15, based on a case study carried out at the University of Passo Fundo (UPF), located in South of Brazil. UPF stands out among other universities in the region due to its great availability of green areas, but the academic community needs to make sustainable use of these spaces. The study evaluated the perception of the university community regarding green areas, to analyse how UPF explores these environments and to study strategies to enhance its use. The results showed that the university has been exploring its green areas by promoting events in favour of the local and academic community, however, more actions could be applied to take advantage of the campus’ ecological potential. The case study confirmed how the green areas in university campuses can contribute to and interact with the SDGs, especially through management actions.