Sustainability at Integral University
Building a campus that runs on fewer resources and better decisions.
Integral University treats sustainability as an operating principle, not a side project. Every watt drawn, litre reused, and course redesigned is tracked against the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and reported openly to students, staff, and the public.
Sustainability at Integral University is coordinated through a dedicated SDG Cell, delivered through a Centre of Excellence, and audited independently each year. The approach rests on four pillars that connect infrastructure, governance, curriculum, and community.
This portal consolidates the university's sustainability charter, its energy, water, and waste systems, ongoing research and teaching, and the reports and certificates that back it all up, in one place.
Reduce
Cut energy, water, and material intensity across every building on campus, tracked monthly against a 2016 baseline.
Embed
Fold sustainability into teaching, research, and student life rather than treating it as an add-on.
Report
Publish energy, water, waste, and SDG progress data on a fixed public schedule, audited by a third party.
Govern
Keep decision-making accountable through a standing committee with student, faculty, and external representation.
Charter & formation
Established in 2016 under the Office of the Vice Chancellor, the SDG Cell maps every academic, operational, and outreach activity at Integral University against the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, and reports progress to university leadership twice a year.
Composition
Chaired by the Dean of Sustainability Affairs, with nominated faculty coordinators from each school, a student SDG fellow from every department, and a liaison from campus operations and facilities.
What the Cell does
Sets annual SDG targets, reviews department-level progress, coordinates data collection for reporting, and acts as the first point of contact for sustainability collaborations, both on campus and with outside partners.
The Centre of Excellence for Sustainability (CoES) is the university's applied research and testbed unit. It pilots technologies and practices on campus first, from smart metering to greywater recycling, before they're proposed for wider adoption or shared with partner institutions.
CoES also runs the university's internal sustainability audits, supports faculty seeking sustainability-linked grants, and hosts visiting researchers and industry fellows for short residencies.
Clean energy systems
Solar deployment, microgrid balancing, and building-level energy audits.
Water & sanitation
Greywater recycling, rainwater harvesting, and groundwater recharge modelling.
Circular materials
Campus waste segregation, composting, and e-waste recovery pilots.
Climate policy
Carbon accounting methodology and adaptation planning for the campus master plan.
The university policy provides rigorous governance principles across construction, procurement, auditing, and community engagement.
Download full policy (PDF)Resource efficiency
New buildings and renovations must meet a minimum energy and water performance standard before occupation.
Procurement
Preference is given to vendors and materials with verified environmental credentials, reviewed annually.
Transparency
Energy, water, and waste data are published quarterly, without editorial delay.
Inclusion
Sustainability planning includes student and staff consultation before major infrastructure decisions.
Review
The policy is reviewed by the Sustainability Committee every two years, or sooner if targets are missed.
Sustainability Committee
Meets quarterly under the Vice Chancellor's office. Members include the Dean of Sustainability Affairs, school-level faculty coordinators, the Director of Campus Operations, two elected student representatives, and one external sustainability expert.
Student & staff bodies
Clubs and societies run the day-to-day awareness and action work that the committee oversees.
- Green Campus Club
- Eco Warriors Society
- Climate Action Cell
- Waste Watch Volunteers
- Water Stewardship Group
Campus tree plantation drive
Student volunteers and facilities staff plant and maintain native saplings across campus green belts, tracked against a running total toward the 10,000-tree target.
Energy & water awareness week
Department-level competitions on metered energy and water reduction, with results published on hostel and department noticeboards.
Campus cleanliness and segregation drive
Joint effort between Waste Watch Volunteers and campus operations to audit waste segregation compliance across hostels and departments.
SDG Action Week
A week of open lectures, department showcases, and a student-run exhibition mapping coursework and projects to specific SDG targets.
Renewable systems
Microgrid load balancing and solar forecasting for the campus grid.
Water systems
Low-cost greywater treatment for institutional campuses.
Circular economy
E-waste recovery economics for mid-sized institutions.
Climate policy
Carbon accounting methods for higher education campuses.
Embedded coursework
Every undergraduate programme includes at least one sustainability-linked module, from environmental economics in the business school to life-cycle assessment in engineering.
Training & certification
Faculty coordinators complete an annual sustainability pedagogy workshop, and are supported to pursue external certifications relevant to their discipline.
SDG Fellows programme
One student fellow per department works directly with the SDG Cell for a semester, gaining hands-on experience in data collection, reporting, and campaign design.
Public short courses
CoES runs short, non-credit courses open to staff, students, and the public on topics like home energy audits and waste segregation basics.
Environmental Management
Green Rating for Campus
Energy Management
Water Audit
State Green Campus Award, First Place
Awarded by the state higher education department for renewable energy adoption and waste diversion rates.
National Sustainability Leadership Recognition
Recognised among the top 20 institutions nationally for SDG reporting transparency.
Best Campus Water Conservation Initiative
Regional award for the greywater recycling and rainwater harvesting programme.
Solar capacity crosses 2.4 MW
The rooftop array expansion completes ahead of schedule, lifting solar's share of campus load to 38%.
SDG Action Week draws record turnout
Over 40 department showcases and a public lecture series marked this year's SDG Action Week.
University signs regional water partnership
A new agreement with the municipal water board expands the campus greywater recycling pilot to nearby facilities.
Energy mix, current quarter
Waste diversion
Water reuse, last 5 years
Reach 55% renewable share in campus electricity through a second solar phase and a battery storage pilot.
Eliminate diesel backup generation for routine operation, keeping it only as an emergency fallback.
Achieve 90% waste diversion from landfill and 100% wastewater reuse across all campus buildings.
Reach net-zero operational carbon emissions for the main campus, verified by independent audit.
- Gender Equity
- Environmental Consciousness and Sustainability / Environment & Energy Audit
- Water Conservation
- Waste management
- Energy Conservation & Renewable Energy
- Green Campus Inititatives
- Disabled Friendly environment
- Social Responsibility and Harmoy
- Effective Citizenship
- Code of conduct
- Celebration of commemorative days
- Best Practices
- Distinctiveness