Radboud University pursues a sustainability policy for education and research as well as day-to-day operations on campus. Marije Klomp is programme director Sustainability and coordinates this enormously broad programme. She explains what is happening at the university, from HR policy to Nimma sandwich.
6000 colleagues
Klomp's team works with four people and the Green Office to drive and coordinate all efforts within the university for sustainability. "So basically we deal with all 6,000 colleagues, not literally of course, but we try to be hooked up in all places," he says.
The approach
“As a team, we are committed to raising awareness of sustainability across all (support) departments and faculties. So we always work together with colleagues on the ground. This includes Radboud Services, which, for example, manages all campus facilities including the restaurants, as well as the HR departments and, of course, the faculties, where the focus is on teaching and research.
We raise awareness of all the different aspects of sustainability that may be involved. And we also offer input, for example: do you have enough information on that? Or: can we provide support in that area? We drive developments forward, draw up new policies, measure and monitor progress, and work together for a while before letting go again.”
Repair shop
A special feature of the programme is the Radboud Green Office. Klomp explains: “They make sustainability tangible on the campus itself. These are very concrete, visible initiatives. And a team of six students is also involved, which is great. A good example: a member of staff from the IT helpdesk put forward the idea for a repair shop in the university library. Our team then helps to turn that idea into reality. The repair shop is set to open soon, where students can take their laptops to be repaired on the spot. That way, they don’t have to buy a new one.”
Purchasing policy
The team is also committed to making the supply chains more sustainable, in collaboration with the Procurement department. After all, the university spends around 120 million euros on goods and services every year. “That is, of course, an enormous resource that you can harness to give the sustainable market a boost. Collaboration with those suppliers and partners is crucial in this regard. It represents a completely different approach to contract management. For example, stipulating in contractual agreements that you will continue to work together on that development over the coming years.
Incidentally, this is the case with many of the ideas we come up with; they sound very logical and appealing, but they do require people to adapt their working practices. So we must always ensure everyone is fully on board.”
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Nimma sandwich
“Earlier this year, we joined a new coalition with Radboudumc through MVO Nederland: the ‘Collectief Natuurlijk eten en drinken’ (Collective for Natural Food and Drink). We aim to source food locally as much as possible, in line with the seasons, and from farmers who promote nature and biodiversity rather than degrading them.
With this combined purchasing power, we can guarantee a market, including for farmers who are keen to make the switch but are hesitant because they’re unsure whether they’ll have enough demand.
To kick things off, we have jointly developed the Nimma sandwich, made entirely from local produce – from the grain in the bread to every ingredient on top. We plan to launch it in early 2025 across all the institutions’ restaurants.”
HR
HR may not be the first thing that springs to mind when it comes to sustainability, but Klomp mentions a whole range of issues worth considering. “Take terms and conditions of employment, for example: travel schemes can encourage sustainable behaviour, such as the choice scheme where you can get a bicycle at a discount.”
In addition, HR plays a role in the training and development of all staff. “So there too, we’re looking at whether we can incorporate sustainability into the courses and training programmes, as it’s such a core value of the university.
For new staff, we ensure that sustainability is given immediate prominence in the onboarding process. For example, I give presentations to new staff. And they are given a tree in the Radboudbos instead of a bouquet of flowers.”
ICT
AI, ChatGPT, research data – there’s a lot going on at a university, and that generates significant CO₂ emissions. “We’re currently working with the IT team to reduce that carbon footprint. For example, we’re drafting a vision statement on data storage in relation to the ecological footprint. This should lead to concrete measures, such as storing data for shorter periods. In addition, we’re going to focus more on raising awareness among staff and students and on data clean-up initiatives. Issues such as cyber security and maintenance are also important to take into account; ultimately, it’s always a matter of striking a balance.
“That is the challenge in our work: we always have to try to strike a balance.”
Education and research: all disciplines play a role
Our research and teaching naturally represent the university’s strength, and it is through these that we make an impact on the world. We try to keep ourselves well informed about everything that is happening across the seven faculties. In doing so, we focus particularly on whether we can forge links between disciplines, or between researchers.
At Radboud University, we have stated that students should at the very least understand the relationship between their own degree programme and sustainability issues. Because sometimes that connection is obvious, but for other programmes it may be less so. Yet all disciplines have a role to play in this major transformation. This includes law students, psychologists and communication experts. That is why we are now integrating sustainability into all degree programmes within the existing curriculum. In addition, a range of specific elective modules and master’s programmes have been developed.
Connecting science and practice
"A really nice part of our work is the interplay between the knowledge we have here in house, among researchers, teachers and students, and the implementation of ideas in practice. You often see that the idea to tackle something comes from our team or the line organisation. We look for scientists and students to share their expertise, and sometimes the science is too abstract. Then we see how we can ensure that scientists and implementers know how to find each other."
