ENVIRONMENTALIMPACT REPORT:

UPEACE Green Office On behalf of the Operations Departmentat the University for Peace, Costa Rica

PRODUCED BY:

ACADEMIC YEAR2018-2019

Towards a Greener Campus

Photo Credits:Front cover: Yumiko Takano

@UPEACE Green Office, Environmental Impact Report 2018-2019

This report has been prepared by Ms. Aleksandra Jovanovic, Ms. YumikoTakano and Ms. Patricia Colón Rafolos from the UPEACE Green Office,on behalf of the Operations Department, University for Peace.

For further information on this report, please contact: UPEACE Green Office, Operations Department University for Peace. Established pursuant to UNGA Resolution /35/55San José, Costa RicaP.O.Box 138-6100Tel: +506 2205-9000Email: greenoffice@master.upeace.org

Towards a Greener CampusOctober 2019All rights reserved. © (2019) UPEACE Green Office

Towards a Greener Campus

ENVIRONMENTALIMPACT REPORT:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

MEET THE 2018-2019GREEN TEAM:

Food Waste

Renewable Energy

Circular Economy

Sustainable Consumption 

Sustainable Education

Sustainable Governance

During the Academic Year of 2018-2019, the

UPEACE Green Office, together with UPEACE,

worked on various initiatives and campaigns to

jointly improve the level of environmental

sustainability at the university.

The on-going projects cover 6 key areas including:

This report takes a glimpse at achievements of

UPEACE and the UPEACE Green Office since its

inception. It briefly discusses the environmental

sustainability actions taken on

campus  previously and develops an action plan

to improve its future performance.

Regarding the fact that the University for

Peace was established pursuant to United

Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Resolution /35/55, our projects have been

aiming to contribute to achieving the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Among them, we seek to support:

Good health and well-being (#3), Qualityeducation (#4), Gender equality (#5), Cleanwater and sanitation (#6), Affordable and cleanenergy (#7), Sustainable cities andcommunities (#11), Responsible consumptionand production (#12), Climate action (#13), Lifebelow water (#14), Life on land (#15), andPartnerships for the goals (#17)

University for Peace´s Green Office supports the Sustainable Development Goals

UPEACE GREEN OFFICE

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-2019

10

GREEN OFFICE

MOVEMENT

Green Office (GO) is a student-led and staff-

supported sustainability hub that began at the

Maastricht University in the Netherlands in 2010.

It is a platform that initiates and coordinates a

dynamic change process towards environmental

sustainability within an institution with a specific

focus on sustainable development and community

engagement.

The UPEACE Green Office started during the

Academic Year of 2018-2019. This platform was

created by two graduate students, Ms. Aleksandra

Jovanovic and Ms. Yumiko Takano, from the

Environment, Development and Peace (EDP)

Department. A proposal, which aims to increase

the level of environmental sustainability on

campus and beyond, was developed and formally

submitted to the university. Together with three

other enthusiastic graduate students as a team, the

UPEACE Green Office successfully delivered

remarkable achievements. As a result, it officially

became a part of the Operations Department at

the University in April 2019 while becoming the

first Green Office in Costa Rica and in the Latin

American region.

Initial Food of Waste Measurements

1st Organic Rainbow Market

Short Talk: The Power of Mushrooms

Earth Day Event

Installation of UPEACE Biodigester

Becomes a part of the OperationsDepartment at the university

Fundraising for Biodigester

Circular Economy Workshop

Vegan Food Tasting

Founded by:Ms. Jovanovic & Ms. Takano

Food Waste Presentation

2nd Organic Rainbow Market

World Environment Day: "No Waste Day"/"Does It BotherYou Now" Campaigns

Becomes a member organization of the UN SDSN Youth

#ACT4SDGs Global Movement

Initial steps of UPEACE

Green Office

Green Office Introduction Presentation to the UPEACE Community

International Earth CharterEducation Conference

"La Verde" Sustainability Store Design

"No To Food Waste" Campaign

This project was initiated after observingthe alarming amounts of food waste beingproduced in the cafeteria. For all of us tounderstand our  collective andindividual  contribution to food waste,measuring and visualizing it was the firstaction to be taken.

We started measuring the level of foodwaste with the kitchen staff and UPEACEReceptionist, Ms. Chinchilla. We collecteddata on a daily basis (Monday-Friday) fromMarch 2019 - May 2019, using an Excelsheet template (see Annex 1). After some test measuring, we decided tomeasure the food waste from the morningand the afternoon, once a day at 2:30 pm. As it can be seen in the Excel Sheet, foodwaste is categorized into separate foodwaste streams.

Plates prepared - Plates sold/Numberof individual customers 

It is certainly significant to measure thenumber of plates prepared during bothbreakfast and lunch plates produced andsold per day in order to analyse theefficiency of food production andconsumption on campus. This results in the following equation:

= Number of plates of Food Over Production per Capita

The purpose of the food wastemeasurements is to collect food waste datato create a food waste indicator that can beintegrated to visualize our ecologicalfootprints. During the months of measuring, an on-going No Food Waste  campaign waslaunched. Various Brown-Bags, events andposters were prepared to raise awareness ofindividual's food waste contribution as wellas to increase a better understanding of theimportance of sustainable foodconsumption. An expectation of the teamafter launching the campaign was togradually lessen food waste at the cafeteriaas well as to influence producers' andconsumers' behaviour on foodconsumption. Unfortunately, data has not been measuredconsistently enough to deliver a solid result(every working day, 2:30pm sharp).Therefore, the next generation of UPEACEGreen Office should ensure that  consistentdata is collected.

UPEACE Green Office

To make sure that consistent,  qualitydata is gathered, the leader of this projectmust be present at the food wastemeasurements every day together withMs. Chinchilla, or a substitutecoordinator must take their place.

Ms. Chinchilla is responsible for makingsure that the Excel sheet with the foodwaste data is updated every day. Thenthe Excel sheet needs to be delivered tothe leader of this project, who is to theproofread its contents.

Ultimately, all the food waste data shouldbe visualized in simple graphs that willreflect the food waste behaviour to easilycommunicate with various audiences.This will assist in making the data easilyunderstandable for the UPEACECommunity as a whole.

For us to better comprehend ourcontribution to food wastes, visualizing it isthe first action to be taken. However, thisproject should not end there, but reachbeyond that. Thus, further actions must betaken as follows;

In terms of improvement, the kitchenstaff needs to be more consistent withthe measurement of food waste. Duringthe first months, the food waste was not measured correctly due to the lack ofcloser supervision by Ms. Jovanovic andMs. Chinchila.

With the presence of Mr. Masís (theHead of Operations Department), a bi-weekly meeting needs to be organizedwith the leader of this project and thekitchen staff in order to express thesincere importance of this project. Themeeting should be open for the wholeUPEACE community so that anyonewho is concerned about the food wasteissue can participate in finding asolutions to issues that arise.

Organizing a left-over cookingworkshop.Brown Bag: "How to reduce ourpersonal food waste: some simpletricks!"

Some ideas previously discussed atBrown Bags;

UPEACE Green Office

The Biodigester project began as a mockcrowdfunding idea for a class presentation.Due to its potential contribution toUPEACE's energy transition, it was decidedto make this idea a reality as an officialproject of UPEACE Green Office.

The world needs to shift away from fossilfuels for its energy demand and focusincreasingly on renewable energy sources.One simple and effective solution is theusage of biogas, generated by our owngreen waste. A good place to start thistransition was in our community, theuniversity.

Biogas is one kind of biofuel generatedthrough the biological breakdown oforganic matter such as food scraps,manure, wastewater sludge, and cropresidue in the absence of oxygen. Thisbreakdown of organic matter without thepresence of oxygen is known as anaerobicdigestion. Anaerobic digestion takes placein a large tank commonly known as adigester. Inside this digester, bacteriaconvert organic wastes into methane gas, areliable source of energy. Biogas is mainlya mix of methane and carbon dioxide. Itmay also contain traces of siloxanes,hydrogen sulfide, and moisture. Biogasstores energy that can be used directly forcooking by burning it in the presence ofoxygen. It can also be converted intoelectricity by using it to convert water intosteam, which turns a turbine connected to agenerator.

The production of biogas will reduce thelevels of non-renewable energy usewithin the cafeteria. The cafetariacurrently uses Liquid Petroleum Gas(LPG) for their cooking. Relying on fossilfuels is not sustainable. This year,theCosta Rican Government announceda plan to reach zero emissions by 2050.We believe that UPEACE, as aninstitution that promotes sustainability, should be at the forefront of thischange.The installment of thebiodigester will contribute to makingUPEACE independent from fossil fuels.

The biodigester will create a positiveimpact on the environment as it captures methane to provide energy for cookinginstead of it ending up in the atmosphereas a greenhouse gas. In addition, it alsodiverts food waste from landfill. Theuniversity’s contribution to bothmethane emissions and to landfill willbe, therefore, reduced.

It will resolve the issue of the currentorganic waste generated in the kitchen,which was not reused effectively.

It will increase awareness aboutsustainable use of organic matter andclosed loop energy systems as consumersin the cafeteria will participate in theprocess through discarding the waste inthe biodigester themselves. Through thisparticipation, students can have a handson experience with the workings ofbiodigestion.

The installment of the biodigester willbenefit the UPEACE community innumerous ways.

UPEACE Green Office

It is  recommended  that the methaneproduced by the biogester, if unused,should be released into the atmosphere.In order to ensure that the gas produced isbeing utilized, the piping from thebiogester will lead into the kitchen,offsetting the amount of LPG electricitythat is required to run their operations. The gas from the biodigester will fuel thetwo-top burners most commonly used toheat the water and milk kettles. Thisburner is currently using LPG electricityfrom the hours of 8:00 AM to 3:00 PMduring the weekdays; connecting thesystem to this burner will ensure that thegas produced is being expended.Additionally, because of the design of thewindows in the cafeteria, the installation issimple as the piping can be fed in via thewindow's slat openings. Having the biodigester and its output(energy) in a visible space will allow for theeducational component of thiscommunity applied project. While thereare trade-offs to having a biodigester in apublic area, many of these can bemitigated. Because of the design ofHomeBiogas 2.0, little to no maintenanceis required once the system is set up andinstalled. This can lessen the burden on itsmaintenance for the university. Duringthe holiday seasons, where most studentsare absent, a valve that   releases theaccumulated gas can be left open.Additionally, the smell often associatedwith a biodigester does not apply to theHomeBiogas 2.0 system as there is  aspecialized compartment for chlorine tabswhich eliminates the smell.

After a consultation with the Head ofOperations for the university and arepresentative from Home BioGas 2.0, it wasdeided to locate the biodigester along thesouthwestern border of the cafeteria. Whilethere was the opportunity for the biodigesterto be placed in Peace Park, where a largerportion of the El Rodeo community couldhave access to it, a more accessible area closeto the cafeteria, a major generator of foodwaste, was preferred. The food waste produced daily by the kitchenis very close to the daily capacity of thebiodigester, which is 7L of waste. TheHomeBiogas 2.0 system can also accept avariety of inputs, including vegetables, fruits,meat, and dairy products; this will make foodseparation easier for the cafeteria asmonitoring the separation process has been ahassle for them as well.

UPEACE Green Office

Finding a school that is interested insetting up a biodigester system (andpossibly develop educational materialswith/for them).

Making the biodigester fully functionalby installing it in the space next to thecafeteria. This should happen incoordination with Warner and Giovanni.(This step includes thepurchase/donation of animal manurefrom one of the El Rodeo farms).

Monitoring the trial phase and findingan effective way to control the organicwaste that is placed inside.

There are a number of tasks to be completedbefore the second biodigester can beinstalled. First the ground must be levelled;this task can be completed by the UPEACEGreen Office team and its volunteers.  Additionally, 50 L of manure must be used toinitiate the process. This one-time input isexpected to be donated by the El Rodeocommunity.   Costs: For the implementation of this project,a budget of 1000 USD is required. (See Annex2 for more details on the costs involved). Currently, the first biodigester is bought andinstalled at UPEACE campus. It is expected tobe operating from September 2019.

UPEACE Green Office

Planning a festive event when the first gasis being produced, invitingstaff/rector/local news and so forth. Set upcrowdfunding for the purchase of thesecond biodigester to be donated to thelocal school.

Beeswax wrapsMetal/bamboo straws'Furoshiki'

Traditional Japanese wrappingcloth to transport goods

'The Greenies' Sip"Reusable tumblers, mugs andbottles.

Products from local organic/fair-trade producers

Upon requests, farm visits to thepartner producers can becoordinated in order to betterunderstand their challenges andpassion for their products.

Locally produced environmentallysustainable fashion.

"La Verde” Sustainability Store project wasinitiated with the aim of providingenvironmentally friendly alternatives tothe UPEACE community. Since theacademic year of 2018-2019 was used tobetter understand the market and exploreideas and collaborations, the store itself isexpected to be put into place from theacademic year of 2019-2020. Thesustainability store is expected to promoteboth environmentally and sociallysustainable products, ideally through acollaboration with local producers.

The UPEACE Compost Center was put inoperation two years ago by a student in thefood security class at the university. TheUPEACE Green Office desired toincorporate this project as a morepermanent part of the student experience.The compost center is located across fromthe greenhouse, next to the facilities shed. The goal of the centre is to turn it into aninteractive platform to learn aboutcomposting. We prepared three stations atthe composting learning center for threedifferent kinds of composting. There is awide range of possibilities for utilizing thisspace.

UPEACE Green Office

During the first "Organic RainbowMarket", a trial of electric bicycles wasintroduced for market visitors topromote a healthy andenvironmentally friendlytransportation alternative. UPEACE islocated in a rich natural environment,which is also a popular destination forprofessional cyclists. Thus, thisinitiative was conducted to familiarizethe visitors with electric bicycles bylearning more about their benefits.For the trials, we rented the bicyclesfrom our partner organization,Tomato's Pizza and Wings, for visitorsto try them on a donation basis. Thedonations were put toward fundingour biodigester project.

If someone experienced withcomposting (or eager to learn) iswilling to take on the challenge ofkeeping the project alive, it can be aspace for students to take their foodscraps from home or a place forcafeteria food waste if the biodigesterfills up. Having workshops withstudents, as well as kids in thecommunity can also be a great use ofthis space. If there are local NGOsthat focus on composting, perhaps itcould be a place where they could doa talk or a demonstration. Thinking about the future of thisproject, it would be ideal if there wasa more welcoming atmospherecreated near the stations by installingmore seating as well as signage withinstructions on how to compost. Webelieve there is no such thing aswaste, it is all resources, which can bereused or even upcycled. Compostingis one way to learn how to upcycle precious resources.

UPEACE Green Office

April 1st, 2019 - The UPEACE Green Office officially became

part of the UPEACE Operations Department after being

acknowledged for its contributions to the University's

environmental protection and progress in contributing to some

of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UPEACE

Green Office was formally invited to two interviews both

internally and externally to share its movement for

environmental protection during the academic year of 2018-

2019.

Indicators: Found effective indicators to measure food wastebehaviour on campus after several meetings with thecafeteria, the operations department and the UPEACEreceptionist (all the parties involved in collecting the data).

Composting: Gave a presentation and a workshop.

Biodigester: Successfully raised enough money throughcrowdfunding to cover the cost of our 1st biodigester. Thus,one biodigester was purchased for the UPEACE communityand is expected to start running from the academic year of2019-2010. It will use inevitable food waste to generatebiogas for the cafeteria. A second biodigester will be donatedto an educational institution in the local neighbourhoodcommunity.

The very first organic market at the university, "OrganicRainbow Market", was organized on campus with thecollaboration of Rainbow Seeds (local organic producers anddistributors). After receiving positive feedback about theinitiative, a second organic market was organized. Due to thesuccess of the pilot collaboration, the UPEACE Green Officeand the partner producers have reached an agreement tohold the market on campus monthly.

Conducted market research to set up "La Verde", asustainability store on campus.A shift from disposable wooden chopsticks to reusable metalchopsticks at the cafeteria.

Circular Economy Brown Bag: Invited a guest speaker fromCosta Rica, Ms. Behr, who produces pendants and otherartworks made from 100% recycled plastic waste.

No more plastic straws: Single-use plastic straws are now bannedat the cafeteria.

'Does It Bother You Now’ campaign  was initiated by UPEACEstudents, Mr. Zúñiga and Ms. Jovanovic, and delivered as a partof "No Waste Day" campaign organized on World EnvironmentDay, with the aim of raising awareness about the negativeimpacts of single-use plastics on the environment andecosystem. Physical installations was set up on pathways oncampus to visualize the amount of our daily plastic waste. Thiscampaign was delivered together with our "No To Food Waste"campaign.

International Earth Charter Education ConferenceLeading the way to sustainability 2030: Education, the EarthCharter, and the Sustainable Development Goals

The UPEACE Green Office was invited to participate  in theconference to learn more about global initiatives taken byvarious sectors at different levels, which are to combatenvironmental issues. During the conference, representativesfrom the UPEACE Green Office actively contributed to thediscussions by sharing knowledge and ideas to improve theenvironmental sustainability level on camps through theirprojects.

@SeikyoShimbun

Environmental Impact Report

Institutional Environment Policy

respect the university sustainability regulations andconsult the university when conducting any activities orprojects that have a potential to cause environmentalharm; create and promote both a sustainable and responsibleculture across the UPEACE community; and build and maintain a framework including the planning,decision-making and governance required to enact thecommitments of the policy.

In order to ensure transparent reporting on progress towardssustainability efforts, and have a better visualization of suchefforts past and ongoing. UPEACE Green Office took aninitiative to produce the Universities very firstenvironmental sustainability report called the"Environmental Impact Report" from the academic year of2018-2019. The report is an official publication through theuniversity, which is expected to be produced every academicyear. In the report, listed projects will be analysed andevaluated based on criteria such as efficiency andeffectiveness while considering the future needs of thoseprojects.

UPEACE has its own established environmental policyendorsed by high management, which aims to minimizeenvironmental impacts on campus and other universityproperties. UPEACE Green Office has become one of theinstitutions under the Operations Department that updatesthe policy, and monitors and evaluates it with the aim ofimproving its environmental sustainability performance.

Under the Institutional Environment Policy, theUniversity, individuals and groups will:

During the event, the UPEACE Green Office introduced the teamand presented our work on campus to the Mora community.

The introduction was conducted together with the UPEACErepresentatives of the Departments of Operations and Marketing toshow our bold collaborative efforts to ensure a green transitions oncampus.

"El Día de la Tierra", an event organized by Mora Limpia y Sostenibleto celebrate Earth Day and promote plastic-free movement in CiudadColón (neighbourhood community of UPEACE).

Organizing 'Organic Rainbow Markets' monthly (previously named:UPEACE Organic Market) to highlight the social and environmentalimpacts of organic agriculture and the significance of responsibleproduction and consumption. It included the promotion of the localfood movement in Costa Rica to actively encourage sustainableconsumption in the UPEACE community.

During the first "Organic Rainbow Market", a presentation aboutorganic agriculture in Costa Rica was given by Co-Organizer ofRainbow Seeds, Ms. Rojas. Organic agriculture offers numerousadvantages to producers, consumers and the environment. However,there are several challenges that producers face today. Therefore, Ms.Rojas  was invited to give us more insight into the issues on theground from her perspective as a producer.

The UPEACE Green Office passionately supports the idea of anapplication called Mapting. Mapting is a free application forsmartphones and tablet for users to learn more about the SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) and the Earth Charter Principles (ECPs)to promote global actions and projects through picture & videosharing on the platform. This is a platform to turn any frustrationsabout today's global issues, which everyone witnesses in everydaylife, into inspirations: to transform them from a challenge to achange.

Application users post their actions to resolve the issues linked to theSDGs by capturing and sharing them on the platform so that otherusers can get inspiration from their ideas and actions. In order to achieve all the SDGs  all over the world, we must all collaborate bylearning from each other and inspiring one another.

On EnvironmentalSustainability

Efforts

UPEACE

Using recycled papers for printing.

Recycling system monitored by an expertwith a certificate in the field.

Reconstructing the cafeteria at dropping-off point to better organize the area, whichfunctions also to visualize food wasteproduced in order to increase awareness ofindividual contribution to food waste.

REDIES is the Costa Rican Network ofSustainable Educational Institutions ("RedCostarricense de Instituciones EducativasSostenibles"). Currently, the network has 21members.

The main goals of this network are:To attain the commitment of theauthorities of the educational institutionsparticipating in REDIES.

To achieve the sustainability of theirCampus.

To establish strategic alliances on theissue of sustainability that favor theexchange of knowledge and technicalcooperation.To promote and execute sustainabilityactions amongst the member institutionsof the network and communities thatconform it.

University for Peace

Installing 213 Solar Panels on campus,Covering 70% of energy demand oncampus (see image below).

Shifting all the light bulbs on campusto LED bulbs and a consideration ofthe future prospect to build skylightdomes (See image below).

In the Praxis, the institutions shareknowledge by the organization offormal trainings or just by consultingamong each other about good practicesor on how to resolve a specificproblem.

Solar Oven initiative was taken by Ms.Somboonlakana (UPEACE student) tomake a great use of natural sun heat towarm food as an alternative to usingmicrowave and other energy intensivecooking/heating methods.

Crops and various plants are grown inthis garden, and they are soldmainly  to the UPEACE communitytoday.

This initiative was taken by the currentHead Department of the Environment,Development and Peace, Dr. Sylvester, withthe aim of producing organic vegetables andherbs for the UPEACE community and itwill be used as a teaching tool on topicsrelated to food such as food security,sustainable agriculture and so forth.

Sustainability Interactive Board was alsoinitiated by Ms. Somboonlakana to sharedifferent understandings of 'sustainability'from different cultural perspectives ofparticipants and write them down aroundthe drawn tree to 'grow the tree'. This is ametaphor to visualize that all thedifferences can be the source of solutionsto the environmental issues the world facestoday. 

UPEACE has been actively supporting andcollaborating with the biodigesterfundraising project promoted by theUPEACE Green Office.

Using reusable materials for plates, cutleryand glasses.Encouraging the UPEACE community tobring their own bags for any purchasingactivities on campus and to carry theirlunch boxes when taking away food.

University for Peace

Inviting environmental experts and activists from all over the world as visitingprofessors and guest-speakers in bothformal and informal settings as well as tothe UPEACE Green Office events.

The very first UPEACE World ClimateSimulation was taken place in the academicsetting through an initiative taken by Ms.Candelario and Ms. Takano from theuniversity. This platform was prepared to ;increase understanding of the complexityof actual climate negotiations with the useof a simulator, which calculates thepotential consequences of submittedproposals during the simulation sessions tovisualize its impacts.

Implementation of dry urinaires in themale toilets to decrease the levels of bluefootprints on campus. The main source of water provided oncampus comes from its own water systemand quality check-ups are conducted twice ayear by Asiciación Administradora deAcueducto Rural El Rodeo  for the filteredwater on campus.

Furthermore, 100% organic cottonmaterial was chosen for 2018-2019graduation T-shirts and Tote Bags topromote ethical fashion practices withthe collaboration of a local producer.

Bamboo grown on campus were utilizedto build a Holistic Centre ("BambooHouse").

Encouraging the UPEACE community touse the UPEACE Bus service as the maintransportation, in order to reduce carbonemissions.

Almost no air conditioning use all overcampus with the exception of a fewrooms.

A Clothes Swap organized by Ms. Haltz(UPEACE student) to promote reducingecological footprints.

Partnership with vendors on corridorspace for cultural exchange as well as localand sustainable consumption. Manyproducts support marginalized groups(based on fair trade principles).

The UPEACE 2018-2019 Student Councilcontinuously encouraged the UPEACE 

community to bring their own cups, platesand bags for any student-led activities.

University for Peace

Action Plan (2019-2020)

UPEACE & UPEACEGREEN OFFICE

*This is a general action plan including, but not limited to the 2019-2020 academic year*

On August  2019 the UPEACE Green Office officially joined the#Act4SDG Global  Movement, hence being the 3rd initiative to berecognized in Costa Rica.

By joining this movement, the UPEACE Green Office expects toorganize and/or join a collective initiative to contribute to achievingthe SDGs. This movement will take place between the 20th and30th of September 2019.

Improving food waste indicators and consistency in measurements.Improving the method of price setting on meals (e.g. by weight orby size)Continuing with ‘Food Rescue Projects’:

“#Beautifruits” & “#Alternativeveggies” campaigns.Encouraging the UPEACE community to choose ‘’ugly’ fruits andvegetables to appreciate their natural unique shapes and excellenttastes.

Continue promoting the Biodigestor and its methane for feeding thecafeteria's kitchen gas stoves.Pushing forward the project of building light skydomes oncampus ceilings (to reduce electricity usage).

Setting up "La Verde", a university sustainability store.Continue organizing ‘Organic Rainbow Markets’ on a monthly basiswith local organic producers at UPEACE.Pushing for more vegan options and healthier, home-made snackswithout (plastic) packagingIntroducing 'Meatless Mondays' to raise awareness on the issue ofmeat overconsumptionShifting materials of UPEACE products to sustainable ones.Opening exhibitions about local movements (local organic and/orfair-trade producers to encourage sustainable consumption).Setting up bike racks on UPEACE Buses to encourage the UPEACEcommunity to cycle more.Using bamboo grown on campus to build, rather than purchasingfrom companies.Setting up a 'ComplEAT-It' campaign together with the support ofthe cafeteria.Serving food by size (Small, Medium, Large) with different prices toencourage people to rethink their food intake, take portions theycan finish and they feel are adequate.

Sustainability Campus Tour during the UPEACE orientation week toincrease understanding of UPEACE and UPEACE Green Office’senvironmental operations on sustainability.

REDIES  has a training sub-committee that plans on what topicsshould be addressed throughout the year.

Priorities need to be set so that the staff and students involved inthe Green Office can benefit from this.

Expanding the World Climate Simulation to a permanent academicrequirement for Environment, Development and Peace Department(EDP) students, as it is for all the students with the UPEACE ModelUN Conference (UPMUNC).

Developing a better design/framework for promotional campaignsto increase the chances for our target audience to receive and digestthe information provided.

E.g. increasing face to face, mouth to mouth promotions

Developing collaborative initiatives with the Earth CharterInternational.

Making regular coordinating positions at the UPEACE Green Officeas academically credible ones, as internship opportunities underconsultation with Dr. Olivia Sylvester, the current Head of UPEACEEDP Department.

Continue inviting expert guest speakers, specifically in the field ofenvironmental protection to expand learning opportunities for theUPEACE community.

Banning single-use plastics to be sold/offered on campus.

Starting a zero plastic campaign to raise awareness on plastic-related issues, and to influence people's behaviour away from single-useplastic consumption.

Collaborating with the cafeteria for bamboo/metal straws (nomore paper straws nor bioplastics)

Improving the recycling system on campus while exploringupcyclying alternatives of single-use plastics.

Improving signs for bins on campus to ease the waste segregationprocesses for its users.

Putting some posters next to the waste containers for clearer descriptions of specific waste items and their correct waste streams.

Promoting and participating in community-based projects, lectures,workshops with a presence of experts, professors and activists(between UPEACE and the Mora Municipality) in the field ofenvironmental protection.

Organizing exhibitions & film screenings on campus onsustainability topics.

Promoting the MAPTING App to increase understanding of theSDGs and the ECI Principles.

Proposing an agreement with the Mora Municipality and otherCosta Rican entities to create bike lanes and acquire  e-bikes forstudents and staff to use on route to El Rodeo, as a way of promotingzero-emission and healthy transportation alternatives.

Working towards UPEACE electric buses. Setting up fundraising projects.

Setting up WASTE-FREE Implementation Day.During these days, the UPEACE community should have anopportunity to purchase reusable products on campus from "LaVerde", the UPEACE GO sustainable store.

For this, strong collaborative and communication efforts are neededwith the cafeteria and other departments on campus.

Crowdfunding for more ecologically smart architectural designs forUPEACE to maximize the use of natural sunlight and have a betterventilation.

E.g. light skydomes (see image on page 18).

Making plant/green curtains for more natural air conditioning andto decrease unwanted solar heating of buildings (see image below).

Start  getting actively involved with environmental initiativesthrough UN SDSN Youth.

Connecting with:Other Green Offices across the globe.Local producers (including, but not limited to, producers fromFeria Verde, Raibow Seeds, Con Market, etc.)Other local universities

Making partnerships locally, domestically and internationally withsocial enterprises, sustainable businesses and organizations

(E.g. Mora Limpia & Sostenible, Misión Tiburón, etc.).

©Bloomberg

Updating the Institutional Environmental Policy every 2 years onbehalf of UPEACE.

Publishing an Environmental Impact Report annually by the end ofthe academic year.

04LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upeace-green-office

03Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/Upeace-Green-Office-572200369925609/

Learn more about environmental sustainability

actions taken by UPEACE & UPEACE Green

Office:

02Humans of UPEACEhttps://humansofupeace.squarespace.com/komono/2019/thegreenoffice

01UPEACE and Sustainabilityhttps://www.upeace.org/pages/upeace-and-sustainability

34

EXCEL SHEET TEMPLATE FOR

FOOD MEASUREMENTS

Annex 1:

Note: The food waste is categorized into separate food waste streams.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-2019

35

BIODIGESTOR:COSTS FOR IMPLENTATION

Annex 2:

Note:

For the implementation of this project, a budget of 1000 USD is required.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-2019

36

“Humanity has taken a path that’s destroyingthe living earth. Together we can stop this.Every action has a consequence, and so doesinaction. What will your impact be?"

UPEACE Green Office