Our planet faces major economic, social and environmental challenges. Aware of this reality, the Polytechnic University of Lisbon is committed to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by investing in environmental sustainability, social responsibility, volunteering and the health of the academic community.
Polytechnic University of Lisbon is committed to supporting the academic community in its personal, social and environmental dimensions, while contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to human rights, poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, education, prosperity, peace and justice.
Polytechnic University of Lisbon is therefore dedicated to promoting good practices in the field of sustainability, following a development model based on sustainability, scientific and technological innovation, and cooperation with society.
In this context, the institution plays an important role in educating and empowering individuals future decision-makers, professionals and opinion leaders — to adopt behaviour that promotes environmental sustainability. To support this goal, Polytechnic University of Lisbon has invested in the implementation and sharing of good practices across its campuses and academic community, with a strategic focus on that community.
Polytechnic University of Lisbon sees environmental sustainability as a key factor in promoting a better quality of life for all. As a higher education institution with a strong focus on research, innovation and artistic creation, it aims to play an active role in building a more sustainable planet.
Polytechnic University of Lisbon also prioritises support for its schools in the implementation of the EcoCampus Programme, which adapts the Eco-Schools methodology to higher education institutions. In 2019, with the signing of the Charter of Commitment of the Sustainable Campus Network, the institution began putting its goals and objectives into practice.
In the 2020/21 academic year, the Eco-Schools Award was granted for the first time to most of Polytechnic University of Lisbon’s schools and institutes. Today, Polytechnic University of Lisbon is one of the largest Eco-Polytechnics in the country, and this achievement reflects strong collaborative work across the institution.
The Eco-Schools Programme plays an important role in bringing educational and environmental management principles into everyday school life, especially through the participation of young people, who will be future decision-makers. It encourages their involvement in building a more sustainable school and community. It is an international programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education, developed in Portugal since 1996 by the Blue Flag Association of Europe (ABAE). The programme addresses the three dimensions of sustainability environmental, economic and social by encouraging, recognising and rewarding environmental education actions for sustainability, while reinforcing the importance of collective involvement.
Polytechnic University of Lisbon has invested in measures such as replacing lighting with more energy-efficient solutions, improving and expanding waste collection equipment through the installation of recycling points, and preserving green spaces in the Presidency Services, on the Benfica Campus, and in its organic units across the surrounding area.
In addition to these measures, since 2018 Polytechnic University of Lisbon has encouraged student awareness and the recycling of materials, particularly through the offer of a welcome kit made up of sustainable and reusable items.
Among other initiatives within the academic community, Polytechnic University of Lisbon has also promoted webinars on healthy habits and behaviours.