1. How was the Office of Sustainable Development established?

The Office of Sustainable Development was established as a result of a grassroots green initiative that began at our university in 2016-2017. Initially, a group of volunteers, including young staff, students, and professors, started collecting waste, recycling it, and using the proceeds to buy plant seedlings. This effort began at NURIS and quickly led to the creation of the Green Campus working group, chaired by Kanat Baigarin. Together, we tackled key environmental issues on campus, including the transformative decision to gasify the campus — a move that has already reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% and significantly cut costs.

Building on this momentum, we developed the Green Campus (GC) concept, which was subsequently approved by the University’s Managing Council. At that time, the university was still young, and the concept of a green campus was quite new to us. We studied the best international practices and developed a concept that addressed nine key areas essential for creating a sustainable campus. This strategic document also included a vision for engaging all university organizations to spearhead green agenda.

While countries like Germany and Spain have government support for green campus initiatives, our journey has been entirely bottom-up. We've independently raised funds for projects such as the Sustainability Living Lab, tree planting programs, Climate Talks and other sustainability initiatives. By actively seeking sponsors like Chevron and expanding our network with other universities, we were able to expand this initiative significantly.

2. What are your goals?

Our primary goal is to seamlessly integrate sustainability into the university’s core activities, including education, research, innovation, and daily campus operations. To support this, we organize a variety of activities such as conferences, seminars, and support student-driven initiatives. We also launch impactful programs like the Sustainability Living Lab (SLL), which empowers students and faculty to enhance campus environmental performance through research and innovative projects in areas like renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste recycling, urban agriculture, and more. These initiatives not only improve campus operations but also cultivate a culture of sustainability and innovation across the university.

While we cannot specify exact targets yet due to ongoing development of university and increase in consumption—since we have not yet reached our baseline year—our efforts are firmly focused on minimizing our environmental impact wherever possible. Ultimately, our main goal is to continuously reduce our campus's overall energy consumption and carbon footprint, ensuring a more sustainable future for our university.

One of our significant achievements has been transitioning our heating system from diesel fuel to gas, a cleaner alternative that has already led to a reduction in our emissions. While currently less than 1% of our energy comes from renewable sources, we see this as an exciting opportunity for growth. We are eager to explore and expand our use of renewables in the near future.

We’re also actively assessing our energy efficiency through SCOPE 1 and 2 emissions, a practice used by many leading universities. These assessments provide us with a clear understanding of where we stand and guide us as we set new goals moving forward.

Furthermore, we’re thrilled that the top management of the university has approved our participation in international sustainability ranking systems like STARS. This not only underscores our commitment to aligning with the best global practices but also opens new opportunities for growth and improvement. By participating in these rankings, we’re excited to benchmark our efforts, enhance our environmental performance, and continue driving positive change through our sustainability initiatives.

3. Does the office have a strategy?

Currently, we have the Green Campus (GC) concept. This well-defined concept, along with clear annual plans, directs our sustainability efforts and provides a structured approach to integrating environmental initiatives across the university. The flexibility of this approach allows us to adapt to the evolving needs of the campus as it continues to develop and grow in both students and faculty numbers.

Our ongoing activities, such as assessing our carbon footprint and energy intensity, as well as implementing projects under the SLL program, are foundational steps toward creating a comprehensive long-term strategy. These efforts not only help us understand our current environmental impact but also identify key areas where we can make meaningful improvements.

As we continue to refine our practices and gather data, these initiatives will lay the groundwork for developing a more detailed strategy that includes specific targets, timelines, and the necessary resources for implementation. This future strategy will enable us to set measurable goals and allocate resources more effectively, ensuring that we achieve significant and lasting progress in our mission.

4. How did you decide to launch the SLL program?

We noticed that there were many proactive students and staff at the university with innovative ideas related to sustainability and greening. Their enthusiasm and initiative inspired us to create a platform where these ideas could be developed and implemented. I personally researched similar living labs at institutions like MIT and Oxford, where they operate with substantial budgets. Inspired by their success, we drafted the concept of the program, and with the support of Chevron, we launched the SLL at our campus in 2019, initially allocating $2,000 per project.

The response was overwhelmingly positive, and we quickly expanded the program to other universities, later increasing budget allocations to up to $4,000 per project. As of 2024, 12 universities across Kazakhstan are participating in the SLL program, and together, we've successfully implemented over 70 projects. We've also expanded the program with educational and networking elements, including SLL for All online video masterclasses, BootCamps, exhibitions and the SLL Conference.

This journey has been incredibly rewarding, and it’s amazing to see how a small start has led to a significant impact across multiple institutions.

5. What is being done on campus for greening?

We have a comprehensive greening plan that outlines the types of trees to be planted and their placement across campus. This plan was developed in collaboration with Professor Denis Sirman, a botany expert from Karaganda University (NU does not have an agronomy institute). Partnering with botanists has been invaluable, as Professor Sirman provided us with crucial insights into our soil conditions and guided us on the most suitable tree species to plant in specific areas.

Over the years, our office has successfully attracted numerous partners who have generously supported our greening initiatives, notably the Earth Fund. Together, we’ve planted approximately 2,000 trees on campus, significantly enhancing the greenery and overall environment.

In addition to our outdoor greening efforts, we also developed an atrium development plan that includes considerations for indoor plants, such as palm trees. This plan was handed over to USM, the unit responsible for campus management, and we maintain close communication with them to ensure its proper implementation.

6. What can students do to implement the concept?

Student involvement is vital to the success of our sustainability efforts. As a university, our main mission is to impart knowledge to the younger generation. Role of the university is to not only educate but also instill values in students, empowering them to become agents of change in our society. We believe that students have the potential to take a leading role in driving sustainability initiatives—they bring creativity, optimism, and energy to the table.

It is important to remember that building a green campus is also about fostering a cultural shift. This is where students play a key role. We encourage our students to actively participate in all green initiatives and raise awareness about sustainability. By doing so, they help create a campus environment where sustainability is not just a goal but a shared value.

Photo credits: Weproject.media