Campus as a Living Lab Projects 

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) 

Integrating ESG principles into business strategy requires more than regulatory compliance – it calls for cultural change, strong leadership and continuous capacity building. Education plays a critical role too. Universities and business schools shape the next generation of leaders, while internal company training should ensure that sustainability becomes embedded throughout an organisation. At the same time, aligning sustainability performance indicators with leadership performance and financial decision-making is key to driving transparency, accountability and investor trust. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) integrates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into business strategy primarily through its Centre for Lifelong Learning (KEDIVIM) and specialized research labs, focusing on sustainable development, financial accounting, and circular economy. As a designated UN Academic Impact Hub for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), NKUA engages in research, education, and strategic partnerships to embed these criteria into corporate practices. 

 

University of Murcia 

The following projects were conducted ay UMU campuses and at other Spanish public universities: 

1. Installation of insect hotels. These shelters have emerged as effective solutions to preserve biodiversity. They are artificial structures that mimic the cavities of trunks and bark, providing safe spaces for key species. The installations were accompanied by talks about the benefits of these hotels (biodiversity boost, increased pollination…). 

1. Planting of European elm trees, a species currently facing difficulties in Europe. This species is critically endangered in Spain due to the loss of its natural habitat. 

1. Upcycling workshops and clothing exchanges between students and other members of the university community. The textile industry has been shown to have a significant environmental impact. In an effort to raise awareness within the university community, a series of workshops were organised on the subject of clothing reuse. These workshops were complemented by meetings between individuals seeking to divest themselves of certain items of clothing in exchange for others, thus avoiding the purchase of new items and, by extension, contributing to the mitigation of the negative environmental impact. 

1. Garbage and waste collection. At the entrances to the main campus of the University of Murcia, outside the campus itself, around 100 hundred students (both from the UMU and 3 high schools) gathered to collect waste. As a result, close to 700 kilos were collected  

All these activities were carried out with the support and supervision of expert researchers in the field, as well as NGOs working daily to advance sustainable development. 

 

The American College of Greece Research Center 

3 Campus as a living lab projects have initiated from the SDG4U and will continue after the end of the project as permanent projects supported by the ACG Center of Excellence in Sustainability and the Department of Science and Mathematics. 

Total ozone monitoring 

Daily monitoring of atmospheric total ozone is a core focus at ACG. This initiative is also part of the SDG4U Erasmus+ “Campus as a Living Lab” project, which aims to actively engage students in authentic scientific research. Typically, students carry out the measurements and are deeply involved in data processing and analysis—gaining hands-on experience and insight into the full spectrum of a researcher’s life. In addition to total ozone, several other atmospheric parameters are regularly monitored. These include aerosol optical depth, radiation intensity across various wavelengths, and atmospheric water vapor. To explore different layers of the atmosphere, we perform radiosoundings. During a radiosounding, a balloon is launched carrying an instrument package equipped with sensors for temperature, pressure, and relative humidity, as well as a GPS receiver and a telemetry system. As the balloon ascends, it collects data, which is transmitted to the ground in real time. Changes in the radiosonde’s position allow for the estimation of horizontal and vertical wind profiles. As part of this research program, ACG recently participated in a scientific expedition under the CLIMPACT II project, contributing to the advancement of our understanding of atmospheric and marine interactions. On the occasion of World Ozone Day, September 16, project results will be presented to the ACG community on September 17 2025. 

AI Carbon Footprint Awareness: A Campus-Based Approach to Sustainable Computing 

This ACG-led student project aims to raise awareness about the carbon footprint of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and to examine existing tools and carbon emission calculators but also develop tools and strategies to calculate and reduce this footprint within the campus and lab environment. Students from the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) and Environmental Studies (ES) programs of the School Science and Technology collaborated to explore AI’s environmental impact and link the findings with specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project will utilize the university campus as a “living lab” where innovative solutions will be tested, refined, and scaled up. The main Objectives of the project are to:  

• Raise Awareness: Increase understanding of the environmental impact of AI systems, particularly in terms of energy consumption, data storage, and algorithmic complexity. Will start with a small survey. 

• Calculate the Carbon Footprint: Use existing methods or develop methods to assess and quantify the carbon emissions produced by AI models used in biomedical and environmental science research including other types of campus and lab research and everyday applications. 

• Promote Sustainability: Propose sustainable alternatives and strategies to minimize AI-related carbon emissions and implement these strategies on campus. 

• SDG Integration: Align the project with relevant SDGs to ensure that the findings contribute to the global sustainability agenda. 

Mapping the Campus Biodiversity 

The American College of Greece is situated in the peri urban forest of Mt. Hymettus; large part of Hymettus is a designated Natura 2000 protected area. The forest is characterised by Mediterranean type vegetation: thermophilous Mediterranean pine trees (Pinus halepensis, Pinus brutia), cypress trees, olive as well as tall sclerophyllous woody shrubs (maquis), and low aromatic shrubs (phrygana) are the prevailing vegetation, while there is also a plethora of birds, insects and soil invertebrates. 

Within the framework of Environmental Science courses and initiatives taken by Environmental Studies faculty and the Center of Excellence in Sustainability, the campus has been used as a living laboratory, with regular field activities in which students learn ecological techniques and study the biodiversity of Mediterranean ecosystems. 

The project aims to produce a detailed GIS mapping of ACG campus biodiversity: 

• identify woody vegetation (trees and shrubs) 

• determine the location of trees and large shrubs 

• estimate populations of species 

• identify animal species on campus; conduct a population survey for birds 

• conduct measurements that will allow the estimation of important parameters – indicators of ecosystem services – and will help understand how to increase resilience to climate change, such as: 

• photosynthetic activity 

• carbon stock and annual carbon sequestration rate 

• water retention potential 

• biodiversity and need for its protection for the maintenance of the life cycle 

 

University College Cork 

UCC’s Green Campus programme sees the whole University campus act as a Living Lab for sustainability.  Examples of specific projects include 

Bláth

Aim to track plant and pollinator biodiversity, along with soil quality, across two distinct locations within the UCC campus: manicured lawns (e.g., President’s garden) and ‘rewilded’ meadows (e.g., lower grounds). The project ran for one calendar year in parallel with a Pollinator Patch tailored to the assessment of plant/pollinator interactions using white clover. 

Enterprise Centre Deep Retrofit

With the installation of heat pumps to deliver 100% of the heating load, the Enterprise became our first large building to be taken off the gas network. Once completed the buildings energy consumption reduced by 60% while the carbon emissions reduced by 68%.  A series of community engagement activities were undertaken to inform the staff and students about this activity.