Green Steps The University of Iceland is implementing what is known as "Green Steps" (Græn skref in Icelandic). According to the Icelandic Government's Climate Policy, all government institutions and offices are required to implement the Green steps into their organization. The project aims to reduce negative environmental impacts of their operations and enhance environmental awareness among staff members. The project is being initiated by the Sustainability Committee of University of Iceland with the support of the rector. Green step project focuses on promoting sustainable practices through systematic approaches. It bring numerous benefits and makes the operation at UI more targeted towards sustainability and environment, and reduce operating costs. The Green steps consist of five steps, within each are seven categories that aim to minimize negative environmental impacts. The categories are: Procurement Communication and management Meetings and events Waste reduction and recycling Electricity and heating Transportation Kitchen and cafeterias Sólrún Sigurðardóttir and Jón Sigurður Pétursson, project managers at the Division of Operations and Resources, manage the project. As the University of Iceland is a large institution, Sólrún and Jón seek collaboration with "green ambassadors" from all faculties and departments, including staff and students. Their role is to assist with follow-up, motivation, and other measures to ensure that the University successfully implements the Green Steps. Green Accounting Green Accounting is part of the Green steps project. The University of Iceland has submitted Green Accounting reports since 2012 to the Environment Agency of Iceland. The objective of Green Accounting is to gather information to assess procurement, consumption, waste generation, and greenhouse gas emission. The results from the Green Accounting show both the achievements regarding environmental factors in operations, but also help establish realistic goals for improving performance. The Green Accounting can be used in various ways, including: Collecting information on factors that cause negative environmental impacts in operations. Providing information on greenhouse gas emissions due to transportation, waste, and energy consumption. Using the Green Accounting helps highlight areas for improvements in operations. Green Accounting results provides information to staff members and the public about the institution. Information from Green Accounting can contribute to a better reputation in the community. Green Accounting focuses on the following environmental factors that are considered to have the greatest impact in daily operations: Transportation Waste Energy Consumption Paper usage Material consumption Key figures from the Green Accounting Related Sustainability report 2021 facebooklinkedintwitter
