Climate-Positive Organisation
BUas is embedding sustainability across the entire organisation and campus through the Climate-Positive Organisation project.
Climate-positive per topic
Our organisation and campus are becoming more sustainable one topic at a time. Click on one of the topics below for more information.
The Nature topic encompasses two closely related elements: biodiversity and nature connection.
- Biodiversity provides the ecological foundation: the variety of living organisms, ecosystems, and genetic diversity that make up healthy natural systems on and around our campus.
- Nature Connection is about rediscovering our inherent relationship with the natural world: the emotional, cognitive, and physical engagement that promotes wellbeing, environmental awareness, and a sense of belonging.
In addition to these two topics, Climate Adaptation, is also a related topic here. As temperatures rise, the way we manage our campus landscape directly affects how well it can cope with heat, drought, and heavy rainfall. Green infrastructure, shade, water, and soil health all play a role in both biodiversity and climate resilience, which is why the two are closely linked here.
Our current focus in the topic of Nature & Biodiversity is on understanding what we have, what we're missing, and how we can become a frontrunner in both topics. We're conducting baseline assessments on campus. We're examining how our campus design is actually performing, and where we need to intervene. We're also measuring how connected our community feels to nature through validated surveys.
This work intersects directly with our educational mission. Students across programmes are contributing research on green urban environments and the connections between human wellbeing and natural environments.
Our commitment is to transparently report both successes and setbacks as we navigate the challenges we face.
The Energy topic covers two interconnected elements: energy consumption and energy generation.
- Energy Consumption is about how much energy our buildings use for heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation, and equipment, and reducing that demand as far as possible in line with Paris Proof targets for the education sector.
- Energy Generation is about how we produce energy on and around campus, and about maximising the use of externally sourced renewable energy where we cannot generate it ourselves.
Energy consumption and Indoor health and comfort are closely connected, and the two do not always pull in the same direction. Ventilation requirements, thermal comfort, and air quality all affect how much energy our buildings use. Health and comfort are covered as a separate topic on this portal, and the decisions we make on energy will need to stay in dialogue with that work.
BUas is on a clear path to a fully Paris Proof campus. Our target: an energy intensity of 70 kWh/m² per year across all three campus buildings — Ocean, Frontier, and Horizon — alongside continuous reduction in carbon emissions. Ocean has already reached this milestone. Frontier and Horizon are close. To bring all three buildings in line, BUas is developing a phased technical roadmap in partnership with Haskoning. This roadmap will identify the energy measures that deliver the greatest impact — not only in terms of CO₂ reduction, but also in improving the health, comfort, and wellbeing of everyone who studies and works, and everything that lives on our campus.
The challenges here are genuine: heritage constraints, significant investments, long payback periods, budget approval cycles, and open questions about our district heating supplier's transition timeline. We'll be documenting the decisions, the trade-offs, and the things we're still working out. Where possible, we use planned maintenance moments as an opportunity to implement energy improvements — replacing like-for-like with higher-efficiency alternatives where budget and technical constraints allow.
The Materials topic covers two interconnected elements: Material Inflow and Material Outflow.
- Material Inflow is about what we bring onto campus: the construction materials used in our buildings, and the goods and services we procure. It covers the full lifecycle of those materials, from how they are produced and sourced to how circular and demountable they are. Our aim is to create maximum positive ecological and environmental impact from our procurement practices, as well as taking into account the social and economic dimensions of our purchasing decisions.
- Material Outflow is about what leaves campus as waste: how much we generate, how well we separate it, and how much of it we recover as a resource rather than send to disposal.
These topics are two sides of the same problem. What we buy determines what we eventually throw away. Addressing both together reflects a circular economy logic: reduce what comes in, recover what goes out as far as possible.
Our current focus is on establishing baselines for both topics. For inflow, Haskoning conducted a carbon emissions analysis across all procurement categories in 2023. We discovered that food and beverages alone account for 65% of our procurement-related emissions. In 2026, we will focus on supplier engagement and set category-specific KPI’s covering carbon emissions, biodiversity impact, waste reduction and social benefits. For outflow, we are conducting a waste audit with students in 2026 to understand our current generation volumes, separation rates, and contamination levels across campus. We also aim to increase our community’s waste separation awareness. We do not yet have all the data we need, and we are building our measurement systems as we go.
For procurement of goods and services, we aim to be a frontrunner. For building materials and waste management, we aim to be a good example. Both are serious commitments, and both require structural change across procurement, facilities, catering, and campus behaviour.
The challenges here are practical and ongoing. We will be documenting the decisions, the trade-offs, and what we are still figuring out.
The Health topic encompasses two interconnected elements: Indoor Comfort and Nutrition & Water.
- Indoor Comfort is about the quality of the physical environment where we all spend our working and studying days: the temperature, air quality and ventilation, humidity, lighting, and acoustics of our buildings. These elements actively affect concentration, wellbeing, and productivity. Our aim is to meet and where possible exceed current standards, proactively anticipate increasingly stringent regulations, and embrace new innovations — without compromising our energy targets.
- Nutrition & Water is about what we consume on campus: the food and drinks available to our community, and access to clean drinking water. Although this topic sits partly within our Materials and Procurement work, the health dimensions of what we eat and drink deserve attention in their own right.
A campus that is serious about climate action also needs to be a campus where people can think clearly, feel well, and sustain their energy throughout the day. But our ambition goes beyond human wellbeing. As part of our goal to become a Zoop, we are committed to creating regenerative value for all living beings, and not just the people who study and work here. The choices we make about our buildings and our food affect far wider ecosystems, and we try to keep that bigger picture in view.
Our current focus is on building the foundations. For Indoor Comfort, we are developing a baseline assessment framework in 2026, measuring or assessing temperature, CO₂, humidity, and lighting across all buildings, while taking short-term actions like optimising temperature setpoints and running a winter heating campaign. An addition? In addition, we are preparing for the replacement of the air handling units (AHUs), for which we have secured a Dutch government subsidy (DUMAVA) for sustainable building improvements. This replacement is intended to contribute to a sustainable improvement of the indoor climate across our buildings.
For Nutrition & Water, we are still scoping what meaningful action looks like, and will be transparent about that process as it develops. One tension we are actively navigating is ensuring that energy efficiency improvements never come at the cost of Indoor Comfort.
- Nature & Biodiversity
-
The Nature topic encompasses two closely related elements: biodiversity and nature connection.
- Biodiversity provides the ecological foundation: the variety of living organisms, ecosystems, and genetic diversity that make up healthy natural systems on and around our campus.
- Nature Connection is about rediscovering our inherent relationship with the natural world: the emotional, cognitive, and physical engagement that promotes wellbeing, environmental awareness, and a sense of belonging.
In addition to these two topics, Climate Adaptation, is also a related topic here. As temperatures rise, the way we manage our campus landscape directly affects how well it can cope with heat, drought, and heavy rainfall. Green infrastructure, shade, water, and soil health all play a role in both biodiversity and climate resilience, which is why the two are closely linked here.
Our current focus in the topic of Nature & Biodiversity is on understanding what we have, what we're missing, and how we can become a frontrunner in both topics. We're conducting baseline assessments on campus. We're examining how our campus design is actually performing, and where we need to intervene. We're also measuring how connected our community feels to nature through validated surveys.
This work intersects directly with our educational mission. Students across programmes are contributing research on green urban environments and the connections between human wellbeing and natural environments.
Our commitment is to transparently report both successes and setbacks as we navigate the challenges we face.
- Energy
-
The Energy topic covers two interconnected elements: energy consumption and energy generation.
- Energy Consumption is about how much energy our buildings use for heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation, and equipment, and reducing that demand as far as possible in line with Paris Proof targets for the education sector.
- Energy Generation is about how we produce energy on and around campus, and about maximising the use of externally sourced renewable energy where we cannot generate it ourselves.
Energy consumption and Indoor health and comfort are closely connected, and the two do not always pull in the same direction. Ventilation requirements, thermal comfort, and air quality all affect how much energy our buildings use. Health and comfort are covered as a separate topic on this portal, and the decisions we make on energy will need to stay in dialogue with that work.
BUas is on a clear path to a fully Paris Proof campus. Our target: an energy intensity of 70 kWh/m² per year across all three campus buildings — Ocean, Frontier, and Horizon — alongside continuous reduction in carbon emissions. Ocean has already reached this milestone. Frontier and Horizon are close. To bring all three buildings in line, BUas is developing a phased technical roadmap in partnership with Haskoning. This roadmap will identify the energy measures that deliver the greatest impact — not only in terms of CO₂ reduction, but also in improving the health, comfort, and wellbeing of everyone who studies and works, and everything that lives on our campus.
The challenges here are genuine: heritage constraints, significant investments, long payback periods, budget approval cycles, and open questions about our district heating supplier's transition timeline. We'll be documenting the decisions, the trade-offs, and the things we're still working out. Where possible, we use planned maintenance moments as an opportunity to implement energy improvements — replacing like-for-like with higher-efficiency alternatives where budget and technical constraints allow.
- Materials
-
The Materials topic covers two interconnected elements: Material Inflow and Material Outflow.
- Material Inflow is about what we bring onto campus: the construction materials used in our buildings, and the goods and services we procure. It covers the full lifecycle of those materials, from how they are produced and sourced to how circular and demountable they are. Our aim is to create maximum positive ecological and environmental impact from our procurement practices, as well as taking into account the social and economic dimensions of our purchasing decisions.
- Material Outflow is about what leaves campus as waste: how much we generate, how well we separate it, and how much of it we recover as a resource rather than send to disposal.
These topics are two sides of the same problem. What we buy determines what we eventually throw away. Addressing both together reflects a circular economy logic: reduce what comes in, recover what goes out as far as possible.
Our current focus is on establishing baselines for both topics. For inflow, Haskoning conducted a carbon emissions analysis across all procurement categories in 2023. We discovered that food and beverages alone account for 65% of our procurement-related emissions. In 2026, we will focus on supplier engagement and set category-specific KPI’s covering carbon emissions, biodiversity impact, waste reduction and social benefits. For outflow, we are conducting a waste audit with students in 2026 to understand our current generation volumes, separation rates, and contamination levels across campus. We also aim to increase our community’s waste separation awareness. We do not yet have all the data we need, and we are building our measurement systems as we go.
For procurement of goods and services, we aim to be a frontrunner. For building materials and waste management, we aim to be a good example. Both are serious commitments, and both require structural change across procurement, facilities, catering, and campus behaviour.
The challenges here are practical and ongoing. We will be documenting the decisions, the trade-offs, and what we are still figuring out.
- Health
-
The Health topic encompasses two interconnected elements: Indoor Comfort and Nutrition & Water.
- Indoor Comfort is about the quality of the physical environment where we all spend our working and studying days: the temperature, air quality and ventilation, humidity, lighting, and acoustics of our buildings. These elements actively affect concentration, wellbeing, and productivity. Our aim is to meet and where possible exceed current standards, proactively anticipate increasingly stringent regulations, and embrace new innovations — without compromising our energy targets.
- Nutrition & Water is about what we consume on campus: the food and drinks available to our community, and access to clean drinking water. Although this topic sits partly within our Materials and Procurement work, the health dimensions of what we eat and drink deserve attention in their own right.
A campus that is serious about climate action also needs to be a campus where people can think clearly, feel well, and sustain their energy throughout the day. But our ambition goes beyond human wellbeing. As part of our goal to become a Zoop, we are committed to creating regenerative value for all living beings, and not just the people who study and work here. The choices we make about our buildings and our food affect far wider ecosystems, and we try to keep that bigger picture in view.
Our current focus is on building the foundations. For Indoor Comfort, we are developing a baseline assessment framework in 2026, measuring or assessing temperature, CO₂, humidity, and lighting across all buildings, while taking short-term actions like optimising temperature setpoints and running a winter heating campaign. An addition? In addition, we are preparing for the replacement of the air handling units (AHUs), for which we have secured a Dutch government subsidy (DUMAVA) for sustainable building improvements. This replacement is intended to contribute to a sustainable improvement of the indoor climate across our buildings.
For Nutrition & Water, we are still scoping what meaningful action looks like, and will be transparent about that process as it develops. One tension we are actively navigating is ensuring that energy efficiency improvements never come at the cost of Indoor Comfort.
SustainaBul ranking
Every year we take part in the national SustainaBul ranking, in which participating higher education institutions are assessed on a range of sustainability themes.
