Ireland’s students call for environmental audits

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is calling for environmental audits for every college and university in the country.

The USI says that environmental auditing is a must for colleges if they are to have any chance of reducing their environmental impact. They believe that college bosses should “take the lead” because the government has not legislated the audits.

Dave Curran, the USI’s environmental awareness officer, explained how an audit would work: “For a university a decent environmental audit should entail measuring overall environmental impact and sustainability.

“It would look at carbon emissions, the level of un-recycled waste, the ratio of trees and green spaces to students, and how well the campus blends in with the local environment.

“Planners would be able to use the information gathered to inform improvements to public transport infrastructure, and to design new, environmentally friendly campus buildings and student accommodation.”

USI made the proposal after their Environmental Conference last week. The aim of the conference is to communicate students’ environmental concerns to the Irish government.