Green University

WORKING GROUP

The integration of the Green University principles and topics into the university's activities is based on the voluntary participation of students and staff.

To implement the Green University strategy and activities, a working group was established by the Rector’s Directive No. 1-9.RR/104 on December 1, 2025. The group includes representatives from institutes, support units, and students:

1. The Green University working group is composed of:
1.1. By position: the Rector, Head of the working group;
1.2. Sille Rebane – Rector’s Office, Green University Strategy Manager;
1.3. Elis Vollmer 
1.4. Ivari Kandima
1.5. Sirli Pehme
1.6. Mait Kriipsalu
1.7. Märt Reinvee 
1.8. Allan Kaasik
1.9. Piret Raudsepp 
1.10. Linnar Pärn
1.11. Kristjan Vilu
1.12. Siret Kapak 
1.13. Leila Juhanson 
1.14. Kristina Kurm
1.15. Veljo Kabin 
1.16. Representative of the Roheline Campus;
1.17. Representative of the Estonian University of Life Sciences Student Union;
1.18. Representative of the Estonian Landscape Architecture Students' Association.

2. The tasks of the working group are to:
2.1. Plan university-wide and institute-specific green activities based on the university’s development plan, Green University strategy, and action plan, and to support and implement those activities;
2.2. Analyze, contribute ideas, make suggestions, and provide feedback on various emerging green topics within the university.

3. If necessary, other university staff, students, or units may be involved in the working group’s activities.
4. The Rector’s Directive No. 1-9.RR/64 “Formation of the Green University Working Group” dated August 23, 2023, is hereby repealed.

ADDITIONAL WORKING GROUPS

1. Waste Management Working Group
The aim of the Waste Management Working Group is to apply circular economy and zero waste principles in the university’s waste management system – to modernize and advance waste handling processes, including waste prevention, reduction, and on-site or partner-based reuse and valorization. Green principles are followed in every activity, including services and procurement.

Key plans for 2025 include mapping and analyzing regular and hazardous waste in laboratories and workshops. The group also focuses on applying Zero Waste criteria and mapping EMÜ’s waste management system, including procurement aspects. Additional efforts include promoting tap water usage and related actions.

The working group is led by Siret Kapak and includes Mait Kriipsalu, Kristjan Vilu, Leila Juhanson, and Sille Rebane.

2. UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) Working Group
The aim of the UN SDG Working Group is to map the activities of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMÜ) in light of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to set objectives for how EMÜ can better and more purposefully align its activities with these goals. The targets and actions will be guided by EMÜ's research and educational principles, and their implementation forms an essential part of the university’s mission.

As a result, the work of EMÜ researchers and lecturers will focus on key areas that contribute to achieving the SDGs, and it will become clearer how EMÜ contributes to the national strategy "Sustainable Estonia 21" and the implementation of Estonia's sustainable development goals.

In 2025, a comprehensive mapping and analysis of the SDGs at the university will be carried out. Specific goals and actions will be established, and opportunities for cooperation with other universities will be explored, including involvement in various networks and programs.

The working group is led by (temporarily) Sille Rebane and includes Elis Vollmer, Katrin Kepp, Sirli Pehme, Kalev Sepp, and Ina Järve.

Estonian University of Life Sciences Strategic Plan 2026–2035

The Green University strategy concluded in 2025, and at the same time the university’s previous development plan also came to an end. As of 2026, a comprehensive new development plan of the Estonian University of Life Sciences for the period 2026–2035 is in force. This plan incorporates the objectives of the Estonian University of Life Sciences as a Green University through its vision and values and integrates them across the university’s focus areas. Read more about the Strategic Plan HERE.

In addition, a GHG (greenhouse gas) footprint reduction action plan is currently being developed to support the EMÜ development plan and its related action plan.

Green University Strategy of the Estonian University of Life Sciences until 2025

The sectoral strategy has been adopted in accordance with point 26.1.4 of the Statutes of the Estonian University of Life Sciences and point 5 of the Development Plan of the Estonian University of Life Sciences until 2025.

The Green University Strategy of the Estonian University of Life Sciences until 2025 is aligned with the university’s vision and mission. The strategy is based on the principles of sustainable development, which involve the long-term harmonious development of the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments, with the aim of ensuring a high quality of life and a safe and clean living environment for both present and future generations.

The Estonian University of Life Sciences is responsible for research and development in the sustainable use of natural resources and in areas related to rural life and the rural economy. The university aims to be an organization that supports the core activities of its community and provides a modern and attractive learning and working environment.

The Estonian University of Life Sciences, as a Green University, focuses its research, development, and teaching activities on the following areas that support sustainable development:

• environmentally friendly and energy-conscious operations;
• healthy and safe food;
• sustainable use of terrestrial and aquatic environmental resources;
• protection of biodiversity, semi-natural communities and heritage/traditional landscapes;
• methods and principles of sustainable living environment planning;
• ecological building technologies and materials;
• environmental economics;
• environmentally friendly waste management;
• sustainability awareness and education.

The principles and lines of action of Green University:

The objectives of Green University are in compliance with the Development Plan of the Estonian University of Life Sciences until 2025.

1. Research and development

Objective: Promote sustainable development through research and development.

Activities:

- Research and development activities related to environment and sustainable development;

- Cooperation with the private and public sector.

Expected outcomes: EMÜ is the centre of excellence for sustainable development.

Indicators:

- Number of research and development projects in the fields of green university and their financial volume.

2. Teaching

Objective: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into teaching and learning outcomes.

Activities:

- Teaching and developing the specialities related to the sustainable use of natural resources and sustainable development;

- Teaching and developing courses related to the sustainable use of natural resources and sustainable development in all curricula;

- Launching and conducting practical and cross-sectoral projects focusing on the issues of sustainable development.

Expected outcomes: Highly-valued university education and graduates that are in demand on the labour market and who understand the relevance of sustainable development and can apply these principles in their professional life.

Indicators:

- Number of graduates in the specialities related to the sustainable use of natural resources and sustainable development across the curricula;

- Student feedback on the courses concentrating on sustainable development (courses selected by students);

- Number of Master's theses related to the focus areas of Green University;

- Number of doctoral theses related to the focus areas of Green University;

- Graduates’ assessment of increased sustainability awareness upon graduation.

3. Members of the University Community

Objective: Raise the University members’ awareness of the principles of Green University.

Activities:

- Systematic training of the students and staff in the areas of sustainable development so that they would be motivated to practice the principles of sustainability in their day-to-day life;

- More active involvement of the University members in the implementation of new initiatives and in-house projects;

- Recognition of active students and staff.

Expected outcomes: Evolving and motivated University community following the principles of sustainable development.

Indicators:

- Number of events and participants involved in sustainable development per year;

- Number of members in the student associations in the focus areas of Green University.

4. University reputation and its contribution to society

Objective: Increase environmental awareness of society and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals.

Activities:

- Serve as an example and disseminate knowledge about sustainable development;

- Mediate the results of research and development activities related to sustainable development;

- Increase environmental awareness and promote cooperation with enterprises.

Expected outcomes: Knowledge and experience of the sustainability efforts of the University are communicated to society and put into practice, environmentally responsible behaviour has improved.

Indicators:

- Number of events and participants involved in sustainability-related activities organised by the students;

- Major public events and number of participants in the sustainability-related activities organised by the structural units of the University;

- Number of participants and number of courses organized in the focus area of Green University;

- Information materials and popular science articles published in the focus areas of Green University (topics, number of copies);

- Visibility of the Green University image in the University reputation research.

5. Organization - a contemporary learning and working environment

Objective: Create a healthy and attractive learning, working and recreation environment in keeping with principles of reducing the ecological footprint.

Activities:

- Engage with the Tartu City Government in increasing the connectivity of the Tähtvere campus to the other part of Tartu with a view to facilitate environmentally-friendly means of traffic;

- Develop campus infrastructure and green areas, taking into account the needs of the University community and the green principles of the University;

- Develop and introduce environmentally friendly campus management plans (including waste management plan, green area maintenance plan, guidelines for green procurement, etc.).

Expected outcomes: The environment-friendly management principles introduced in Tähtvere campus contribute to the reduction of the ecological footprint of the University.

Indicators:

- Electricity and heat consumption in Tähtvere campus, MWh/a;

- Fuel consumption of University cars, litres/ year, (based on fuel cards);

- Water consumption in the campus, m³/ year;

- Waste generation in the campus and the disposal of wastes, including recovery method, tons/ year;

- Paper consumption at the University, pages/ year;

- Campus car parking occupancy rate, (number of parking spots, occupancy rate, University average);

- Campus bicycle parking occupancy rate, (number of parking spots, occupancy rate, University average);

- Occupancy rate of lecture halls /study laboratories per day on average (h, based on ÕIS);

- Proportion of green procurements from all procurements;

- Compliance of the working environment with the standards.

¹ Public Procurement Act (RT I 2007, 15, 76). § 3, paragraph 6.

Implementation of the strategy

In compliance with the Development Plan of the University and the Green University Strategy, the Green University working group formed by the order of the Rector of the University, will draw up an Action Plan for the whole year, which lists the actions at the University and Institute levels and appoints the persons responsible for the activities. The Council of the University monitors the attainment of the objectives of the Green University strategy together with checking the realization of the Action Plan to the Development Plan of the University at least once a year.

Vice-Rector of Research coordinates the achievement of the objectives set in the Strategy. The implementation of the Green University Strategy is discussed at the University Council at least once every two years.

6. Provisions for the implementation of the Strategy

6.1. The order of the Estonian University of Life Sciences of 24.03.2011, No 2 "Green University Strategy of Eesti Maaülikool until 2015" is hereby repealed.

6.2. This Regulation shall enter into force upon the date of its notification.

A guide for organisers and participants of environmentally friendly events

The Green University Good Practice Guidelines bring together the requirements (marked NB!) and recommendations arising from the university’s green mindset for event organisers and participants. The guidelines are aligned with the City of Tartu’s guidelink opens in new page for environmentally sustainable event organisation.

Remember: organising events involves resource consumption and environmental impact!

• Paper use. Prefer electronic materials such as invitations, programmes, advertisements and other information materials. If printing is necessary, print double-sided in black and white whenever possible, using inks produced from natural oils and resins. Prefer eco-labelled, FSC- or PEFC-certified, or recycled paper.
• Giveaways. First consider whether souvenirs are necessary for achieving the event’s purpose. If souvenirs are used, prefer practical domestic products (e.g. food items) with organic or eco-label certification. Review the quantity of souvenirs. Avoid single-use products and excessive packaging.
• Decorations and promotion materials. Prefer and order decorations and promotional materials (e.g. roll-up banners) with a long lifespan and made from recyclable materials. Reuse items whenever possible (e.g. potted plants, decorations, plastic name badges, signposts, lanyards). Lanyards with the official university visual identity can be borrowed from the EMÜ Marketing and Communications Office. Please contact Kätrin Zupsmann at +372 731 3926 or by email [email protected].
• Energy and resource efficiency. Use technical equipment and inventory according to actual needs. Turn off screens, projectors, sound equipment and additional lighting after use, and do not leave devices running during breaks or overnight. Avoid unnecessary lighting, overheating and excessive cooling of rooms.
• NB! Food and drink containers and cutlery must be reusable. Discuss and agree on these requirements already when ordering catering services.
• Food and drink. Instead of bottled water, offer tap water and the possibility to refill personal water bottles. Prefer local and/or seasonal and/or organic and/or Fairtradelink opens in new page-certified products. Include at least one vegan (fully plant-based) option on the menu. Avoid individually packaged products; for larger consumption, prefer bulk packaging, such as loose sugar instead of sugar cubes and larger cartons of milk or cream instead of single-serving packages. At international events, place multilingual labels next to food items to help prevent food waste. When ordering catering, ask what and how food will be served and what will happen to leftovers.
  • Avoid throwing away uneaten food. Whenever possible, offer leftover food to staff, students or participants to take away, and direct edible food to food-sharing solutions. To arrange food delivery to the Torni Hostel food-sharing refrigerator, contact Roland at +372 5877 5857 or Kaare at +372 512 0526. Food is usually collected within approximately 30 minutes. Packaging is provided by Torni Hostel.
  • Anyone may leave food in the food-sharing refrigerator. When leaving food, ensure that it is still safe for consumption. Previously opened packages must be securely closed to avoid leakage. If the food is not in its original packaging, it should be labelled with the contents and, if possible, the preparation date.
• Waste management. Prevent and reduce waste generation already during event planning.

NB! Waste must be collected separately according to the waste streams generated at the event. Collection arrangements must be made for paper and cardboard waste, packaging waste, mixed municipal waste and glass packaging; if bio-waste or deposit packaging is generated, separate collection for these must also be organised. Temporary waste containers and bag holders must have clear waste pictograms, and at international events the signage must be multilingual. The event organiser is responsible for arranging the removal of waste collected in temporary containers. Place waste sorting instructions near collection points. See also the Estonian University of Life Sciences Waste Management Guidelines.

• Transportation. Provide participants with recommendations on how to reach the event venue with a low transport footprint. Whenever possible, encourage walking, cycling or using public transport (the campus offers access to the city bike-sharing system), and include links to Tartu bus and train connections, campus location and university accessibility information if needed. If the event takes place on campus, highlight bicycle access and bicycle parking options.
• Digital footprint. Upload presentation materials online and share the link with participants. Avoid sending unnecessarily large files and duplicate copies. Whenever possible, prefer Wi-Fi over mobile data connections. If event photos or recordings are made, upload them online if needed and share links instead of multiple file copies. After the event, review digital materials and delete files and copies that are no longer needed. Also review the digital content stored on your phone, computer and cloud services at least once a year and delete unnecessary files.

Events outside the university campus. Inform participants whether the venue is accessible by public transport and what options exist for arriving by bicycle or on foot. If necessary, consider organising shared transportation. When choosing accommodation, ask service providers about their environmental practices and prefer accommodation providers with the Green Key certification whenever possible. Use permanent electricity connections instead of temporary generators whenever possible and prefer energy-efficient equipment. Leave the event area in at least the same condition as before the event and compensate for any damage caused.

Environmental guides and documents. Share environmental principles and practical guidelines related to the event with partners, service providers and tenants in writing before cooperation agreements are concluded or at the latest at the beginning of the preparation process. Make relevant information publicly available to participants before and during the event. If necessary, explain environmental rules on-site through signs, instructions and multilingual labels. Use the Estonian University of Life Sciences Green University visual identity in environmental communication materials according to the agreed design guidelines.

The first environmental report was compiled in 2016 as part of a project funded by the Environmental Investment Centre (KIK). Subsequent environmental reports have largely used the same methodology, which allows for the presentation of some data in a comparative format. This makes it possible to observe trends in four-year intervals. The methodology of the report is based on the current Green University Strategy (valid until the end of 2025) of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMÜ) and the requirements of the international Green Metric ranking.

No additional environmental reports in exactly the same format will be produced in the future.

Currently, a methodology based on the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) is being developed. For each goal, specific metrics and indicators are being created to measure progress. The aim of SDG reporting is to ensure transparency within the organization while implementing practical solutions to achieve sustainable development at the university.

As a pilot, testing of the developed SDG methodology was initiated, during which data for the year 2025 will be collected and an overview will be prepared based on these data. The Estonian University of Life Sciences’ SDG methodology fully follows the UN SDG framework. 

The results will be published at the earliest opportunity.

Statute of the “Green Step” Award

The “Green Step” award competition has been organized since 2023, with the aim of recognizing the activities of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMÜ) that align with the strategic principles of the Green University.

Past winners are listed here.link opens in new page

For 2026, the competition deadline is October 1.

I. General Provisions
1. This statute establishes the organization of the “Green Step” award competition by the Estonian University of Life Sciences (hereinafter “the University”), the conditions for participation, and the award selection procedure.

2. The purpose of the “Green Step” award is to recognize actions that align with the strategic principles of EMÜ’s Green University.

II. Organization of the Competition
3. The competition is organized by the Head of the Green University Strategy in cooperation with the Green University Working Group (hereinafter: “the Working Group”).

4. The competition is held once a year, announced by the Rector via official directive on the proposal of the Working Group. The announcement is published through the University’s information channels by the Head of the Green University Strategy.

5. Entry Conditions:
 5.1. Proposals for the “Green Step” award may be submitted by University employees, students, members of University decision-making bodies, and the Alumni Association Board.
 5.2. Nominations may recognize:
    5.2.1. individuals, working groups, organizations;
    5.2.2. University staff, students, cooperation partners, or activities by University units;
    5.2.3. non-University green mindset–promoting activities linked to the University’s field of work.
5.3. Nominees may use the criteria listed in Section 7 to ensure the proposal aligns with the spirit of the “Green Step” award.

6. Proposals must be submitted electronically to the Head of the Green University Strategy, using the subject line “Green Step,” and include a justification of up to 3,000 characters.

III. Evaluation of Proposals
7. The Working Group evaluates proposals according to the following criteria:
 7.1. Alignment with the strategic objectives of EMÜ’s Green University initiative;
 7.1.1. a single action/initiative or a series of related actions;
 7.1.2. activity must have occurred within 12 months prior to the announcement of the competition;
 7.1.3. environmental friendliness of the activity;
 7.1.4. novelty/innovative approach;
 7.1.5. connection to circular bioeconomy principles;
 7.1.6. use of green technologies, including renewable energy solutions;
 7.1.7. contribution to sustainable development.

8. If a proposal involves a member of the Working Group, that member will not participate in evaluation or decision-making.

9. The Working Group decides on the award by a simple majority. In the event of a tie, the Rector’s vote is decisive.

10. No award will be given if submitted proposals do not meet the criteria in Sections 5.2 and 7. The Working Group is not required to justify its decision.

11. The Working Group may publish the nominees and the winner.

IV. The Award
12. The award is decided by the Rector together with the Working Group.

13. The winner is confirmed by Rector’s directive.

14. The winner is announced at the academic ceremony.

V. Implementation
15. This directive enters into force upon publication.