Student Leadership Award for Green Office
The International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) and oikos International recognized the achievements of Maastricht University Green Office with the ISCN-oikos Student Leadership Award on 20 June at an official ceremony in Eugene, USA.
This reward presents the highest international award for sustainability student activism. “This year’s award winners truly raise the bar on campus sustainability projects” said Dr. Matthew Gardner in the name of the international Jury selecting the Green Office. “Each winner represents a best practice and a lighthouse-type of project that campuses around the world can learn from.”
Maastricht University Green Office is the sustainability change agency of Maastricht University, initiated and run by students. The Green Office was established in September 2010 and has developed into an integral part and driver of Maastricht University’s sustainability strategy. Students have already successfully implemented several sustainability projects through the Green Office, such as the first sustainability baseline analysis of Maastricht University, the new sustainability policy 2012-2014, business cases for a more energy efficient computer infrastructure and light system, as well as several conferences and networking events.
Already in March 2012, Maastricht University was awarded with the Sustainabul Award, as the Dutch university with the most transparent sustainability efforts. Back then, Jeanine Gregersen – Director of Marketing and Communications – already acknowledged that “we owe this award to the driving force of our students at the Green Office.” With the Student Leadership Award, the achievements of the Green Office are recognized worldwide.
The award also comes at the right time for a key spin-off project of four founders and former student employees of Maastricht University Green Office. Just a couple of weeks ago, they have founded Green Office Europe, a NGO to promote and create more student-driven Green Offices at European Universities. “The Green Office is unique and very powerful project, in the sense that it provides practical sustainability education for the students engaged in the office, and creates a positive impact on the university sustainability efforts. Through Green Office Europe we want to bring this lighthouse project to more universities”, explain the four founders of Green Office Europe Arian Meyer, Ulrich Scharf, Valentin Tappeser and Felix Spira.
For more information about the award and the Green Office please contact Ragnar Martens: ragnar.martens@maastrichtuniversity.nl
For more information about the export of the Green Office project through Green Office Europe, please visit www.greenoffice-europe.eu or contact info@greenoffice-europe.eu
