Sustainability in our organisation
The Hague wants sustainability to receive full attention not only in education and research; we also want our organisation to operate as sustainably as possible and our buildings to be as sustainable as possible.
Three goals
In our Institution Plan, we have therefore formulated three goals:
- We want to be a waste-free organisation by 2030; Zero Waste, waste collection turns into resource collection;
- By 2030, we also want to meet Paris Proof requirements; Paris Proof is a common sustainability target for buildings to meet the Paris climate goals. Specifically, it means reducing energy consumption in our buildings by half (compared to 2018)
- Using Paris Proof as a basis, we ultimately want to be an organisation with net emissions - a footprint - of 0 by 2040: Zero Emissions.
Paris Proof
The Paris Proof ambition is not only a housing ambition, but also a research project. Expertise on energy transition, energy flexibility and the energy performance of buildings is secured within THUAS Centre of Expertise Mission Zero.
The facility management company and Mission Zero also involve students in making the organisation more sustainable. A coordinator has been appointed within the Facility Company to involve students. This certainly applies to Facility Management students. Where possible, there is also cooperation with THUAS Green Office - for example, with Trash Walks, in which litter around De Haagse is cleaned up by employees and students
From facility to circular: Zero Waste
The Hague aims to be a zero waste educational institution by 2030, reducing the residual waste stream to 0. In doing so, we focus as much as possible on waste prevention, reuse and care for our (living) environment. 'Waste collection' thus changes into 'raw materials collection'. Together with our suppliers, staff and students, we want to minimise and separate waste as much as possible. Proper collection also requires awareness. As a university of applied sciences, our internal communication also provides students, staff and visitors with tips on how they can use their growing sustainable awareness at home too.
Read the ZeroWaste multi-year project plan
Energy and CO2 emissions: working group Zero Emissions 2040
The Hague aims to halve its energy consumption by 2030 compared to 2018 (Paris Proof). This should lead to zero emissions by 2040. To implement the Paris Proof 2030 project and realise the zero emissions ambition, a university-wide working group has been set up. Students are represented in it through the Green Office. Based on a baseline measurement/footprint, the working group will ensure data and information flows (e.g. on categories of CO2 emissions), on the basis of which measures can be taken. The working group will also help education, research and services to design and implement measures to reduce emissions (scope 1, 2 and 3). The working group also monitors the progress of all measures and shares developments within the university.
Together, we will succeed
Sustainability goals per topic
Water
For us, sustainable water management is a foundation of a future-proof campus. In the coming years, we want to actively involve students and staff in sustainable water management. We set up pilot sites where innovative water management techniques and solutions are tested and can be used in education and research. Our campus can become a model for sustainable urban development and responsible water use.
Read our sustainable water management policy
Biodiversity
As an educational institution, we contribute to a future where ecosystems are respected, supported and restored. We also want to facilitate this on our campus itself. By integrating natural elements and ecologically conscious management into our buildings and outdoor spaces (think green roofs, for example), we are working towards a vibrant campus. We want to increase our biodiversity level by 30% by 2032 by integrating native flora and fauna into green and landscape design on campus. We want to achieve this in co-creation with education, research, local nature organisations and external strategic partners. By sharing knowledge and integrating biodiversity into property management, we strengthen our property's impact on nature and help create a more sustainable urban environment.
We want to start ensuring that each year's students can leave a positive footprint in the biodiversity around our building - think a bee hotel or tile removal. In doing so, we also challenge them to calculate what an intervention will yield.
Read our biodiversity action plan here
Catering
Sustainable catering with as little waste as possible - we at The Hague want to work towards climate-positive catering services by 2030. We want to achieve this, for example, by reducing food waste and transport, offering a plant-based supply and a healthy environment, using ecological cleaning agents and using as little packaging as possible. We also focus on social sustainability (diversity and inclusion).
Read our plan for a climate-positive catering service by 2030.
Procurement
By 2024, we have aligned our procurement policy with the goal of a fully sustainable business: Procurement with Impact. In our procurement and contract management, we consciously address the sustainability and equity impact of our purchases. We therefore select and work with socially responsible suppliers and also position ourselves as a reliable and socially engaged client. In tenders, we aim to motivate suppliers in doing business more sustainably and reward 'frontrunners' in the market by offering them extra opportunities.
Mobility
Employees of The Hague are encouraged to travel by public transport as much as possible, both in terms of commuting and business travel. For commuting, employees receive an annual public transport card. De Haagse's main location is next to Den Haag Hollands Spoor station and the other locations are also easily accessible by public transport. In addition, the university encourages the use of bicycles. There is a bicycle plan scheme for employees and the university contributes to the maintenance of your bicycle if you cycle to work at least two days a week.
For international business trips, the question is asked in advance whether matters can also be arranged more online. For trips under 800 kilometres, the basic agreement is not to fly and preferably to use the train.
Social sustainability
THUAS values student welfare, good study guidance, social safety and inclusion. Every day, we continue to work towards a learning and working climate that recognises diversity, enables participation of every student and employee, and removes physical and psychological barriers as much as possible.
In our Strategic plan 2023-2028 we set out how The Hague University of Applied Sciences is building a community in which diversity and inclusion are the norm and how we embed attention for this in education, research and interrelationships. To promote an inclusive culture in our organisation, we ensure that managers know how to foster such a culture. We regularly test where students experience barriers to inclusion and take action to remove them. And in our recruitment and selection of new employees, diversity and inclusion have specific attention.
In our Knowledge Agenda, attention to inclusion is reflected in all three focus areas formulated by The Hague University of Applied Sciences. And in our Educational Vision, we have described how we continue to work towards an inclusive learning environment. We want our students to feel known and valued from the different backgrounds, experiences and aspirations they bring. Our inclusive education efforts are supported by the research group Inclusive Education.
The Hague University of Applied Sciences established an Inclusion Office in 2021, with the mission of promoting the importance of inclusion within and outside The Hague University of Applied Sciences, and supporting the construction of an inclusive learning environment. The Inclusion Office provides agenda-setting, unsolicited advice and organises events together with students, such as Purple Friday and Diversity Week. The Inclusion Office can be reached at [email protected]
Accountability and Finance
Based on the Institutional Plan, De Haagse aims to make more transparent in its annual report the impact we make on people and the environment, and provide feedback on the three ESG topics of environment, social and governance.
The Hague values good relationships with suppliers. At the same time, we ask our partners in banking, insurance and pensions how they fulfil their responsibility for a sustainable future. As part of our procurement and contract management policy - in which sustainability has a prominent place - we give sustainability criteria an important role in new tenders in the field of banking and insurance.