FEE EcoCampus History
The FEE EcoCampus programme is an educational award programme to help transform Higher Education Institutions (HEI) as a hub for Education for Sustainable Development. The goal is to empower students to become leaders and active citizens for sustainability by engaging teachers, staff, students, and the wider community in positive actions.
The programme is the evolution of the Eco-Schools programme at the tertiary level. Like Eco-Schools, it provides the means to foster environmental awareness in tertiary level institutions in a way that links to everyday activities and study and ties in with the operational requirements of a complex multi-use facility. The programme is based on the EU EMAS (Eco-Management and Auditing System), and the Seven Steps align with the ‘plan-do-check-act’ management method used in ISO 14001:2000 Environmental Management System Standards. The FEE EcoCampus award takes into account both the action on operational elements (like water saving, energy saving, waste reducing actions), along with educational aspects that aim to equip students at Green Flag Campuses with critical competencies for sustainability, knowledge regarding critical issues of sustainability, and positive behavioural outcomes.
The first country to start the programme in 2003 was Russia and the first Green Flag was awarded in 2004. In 2023 the programme was being implemented in 183 institutions and 18 countries.
The FEE EcoCampus is both a programme and an award. A set of guidelines that keeps on evolving supports the National Operator in adapting the programme. While the International Green Flag award is given to campuses that complete all the essential elements, the programme is flexible and encourages different countries and campuses to find different routes to achieving the award.
From 2024, FEE EcoCampus is being expanded as an approach to support lifelong learning. The following aspects are being developed as part of the strategic development of FEE EcoCampus:
Offer accreditation programme with the Green Flag criteria-based accreditation of campuses based on seven steps facilitating both environmental and educational improvement.
Support professional development through Internships.
Offer research and fellowship to young professionals.
Organise events and conferences.
Facilitate leadership development through the Young Reporters for Environment programme.
Partnerships for delivery of accredited courses on FEE Academy and in different institutions.
Engage with Workspaces for Life-long learning particularly in hospitality sector.
Support advocacy and policy engagement.