NUS - NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SUSTAINABILITY?

Abstract

This project attempts to assess the sustainability of the National University of Singapore’s campus. In order to do so, sustainable rating/assessment tools have been selected. The choice of the sustainable tools demonstrates both the similarities (repeated sustainable indicators) and differences (emphasis on the importance and score of each indicator). The two selected assessment tools are also chosen because one is local and the other is from the US/Canada. The former is perhaps less thorough as it focuses only on the operational elements of sustainability but the latter encompasses both operational and educational elements. Authors of literature on sustainable campuses have agreed that a sustainable or green campus must consolidate educational (courses, curriculum, research and outreach) and operational (natural resource management and use, campus planning and features) elements in a sustainable design. Environmental perspectives must be amalgamated in the corporate work of a tertiary institution with the ultimate goal of inculcating a ‘natural ‘culture’ of environmental responsibility (Alabaster & Blair, 1996, p. 861). Therefore, selected indicators of both assessment tools have been selected and discussed in the context of NUS Kent Ridge Campus in this paper. Certain indicators are normalized into metrics in order to account for the growth of the campus. Results show both positive and negative trends and provide a baseline for setting short- and long-term goals.