What is Sustainability?

While the concept of sustainability generally expresses the capacity to sustain a situation or process for an indefinite period, it can be perceived and defined in many different ways. Sustainability is basically perceived as ecology and the ability of ecological systems to maintain their functions, processes and productivity in the future. There is now a common consensus that the world's resources and the environment are moving towards the limit of depletion as a result of human activities. Sustainability can only be achieved by using the resources offered by nature at a speed that allows them to be regenerated spontaneously.

Why is Sustainability Important in Universities?

Sustainable campuses play an important role in reducing energy consumption and emissions, improving waste management, collaborating with various units inside and outside the campus, and using sustainable methods in technology production. Implementation of sustainability criteria in university campuses; economic gains with water and energy efficient designs where rain water and wastewater are reused and energy efficiency is increased; physical gains in which the air quality and comfort properties are increased inside and around the buildings, in and around the campus, thanks to green buildings and renewable energy-oriented designs; it provides social gains with designs that prevent environmental pollution, reduce the negative effects of climate change and focus on healthy society.