Greve, Charlotte (2025) Enhancing the Role of Green Offices in Promoting Sustainability at Dutch Higher Education Institutions. Bachelor thesis, Global Responsibility & Leadership (GRL).
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Abstract
As the climate and environmental crisis intensify, the role of higher education institutions is becoming increasingly important in leading a transition towards sustainability. In the Netherlands, many Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences have adopted Green Offices - which are independent sustainable initiatives with the aim of anchoring sustainability in everyday university life, promoting environmental awareness, coordinating initiatives, and influencing institutional policies. This thesis examines the key challenges and opportunities faced by Green Offices in promoting sustainability within Dutch higher education institutions. The research combines semi-structured interviews with members of ten Dutch Green Offices with a survey among students and staff of higher education institutions in the Netherlands. The findings indicate that, although Green Offices contribute to raising awareness and initiating sustainable activities and events, their long-term impact often depends on institutional support, the continuity of personnel, financial resources, and integration into broader governance structures of the institution. Collaboration, both within institutions and external networks, also emerged as a critical but undeveloped area. Despite these constraints, Green Offices hold significant potential to promote institutional change when embedded in formal decision-making processes and supported with sufficient resources. This research concludes with strategic recommendations to strengthen the work of Green Offices. It also identifies directions for future research on the role of Green Offices in educational institutions.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
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| Name supervisor: | Cengiz, E. and Garzon Lopez, C.X. |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Jun 2025 10:13 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Jun 2025 10:13 |
| URI: | https://campus-fryslan.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/621 |
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