The purpose of the Green Campus MOU is to build green campuses and cultivate and spread an energy-saving culture around campuses. With this MOU, campuses are making plans to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases in the long run. To make this possible, the SMG recommends universities to join and expand eco-mileage systems and include producing recyclable energy in their long-run energy plans. To cultivate eco-friendly campus culture, the SMG supports universities’ environmental clubs through several assessments. Recently, Konkuk University’s Campus Energy Saver team was selected for making a Green Campus and leading an energy-saving campaign. The team proposed practical ways to save energy consumption on campus, such as installing Doppler sensors in classrooms and restrooms to detect movement and attaching heat insulation film on classroom windows. They will also install timers on vending machines and water purifiers to save unused electricity. In addition to supporting student-led activities, SMG runs a “Green Campus ambassador” project. The Green Campus ambassadors, who were recruited in November 2013, are composed of 61 members from 34 universities with which the SMG signed MOUs. The purpose of Green Campus ambassadors is to promote Green Campus campaigns and SMG’s energy policy, which reduces the need for nuclear power plants.Ambassadors are trying to spread green culture to the public. As a part of their efforts, ambassadors are having regular workshops and discussions on how to make campuses and the city greener and how to spread the environmental issues more easily to the public.
“I am working on a campaign as a Green Campus ambassador,” said Lee Yoon-ji (Sociology, 3), one of the Green Campus ambassadors. “I am trying to make university students and citizens feel that saving energy and living an eco-friendly life is not very hard.”
For the future movement for Green Campus, the official of the SMG hopes the movement to be activated through each university’s efforts and ambassadors’ activities.
“The main purpose of Green Campus MOU is to reduce 10 percent of energy consumption by 2017,” said Lee Kyeong-ok, an official of the SMG. “We hope energy-saving culture spreads well through the MOU and the Green Campus ambassadors’ activities.”
Yoon Hye-joon
hajun1237@ewhain.net