Green Office KU Leuven

The Green Office KU Leuven works with the sustainability services to change policy, inform students and directly work with students on sustainability issues.
Founding story
Among others, the university had a sustainability policy, report and working group on becoming a climate neutral organisation by 2030. Also nine student groups were active on the topic. The Vice-Rector Sustainability Policy learned about the Green Office idea and then tasked a staff member to realise it. It was then established in 2016. The goal was to establish a Green Office that would help to realise the sustainability ambitions of the university and act as a contact point for students and staff.
Organisation
As the graph below shows, the team consits of 1 staff coordinator (24 hours per week) and 4 student employees (paid 8 hours per week). The Green Office has a structural volunteering programme. The Green Office is integrated into the broader sustainability department.
Activities & achievements
Established a community garden for students
Governance
Made sustainability a major issue in the rectoral election
About the university
Hosts 55,500 students and employs 15,800 staff
In Leuven, Belgium with campi across Flanders
Integration of the Green Office
Approved by the Executive Board
Part of Sustainability Services