2020 Sustainability Institution of the Year Finalist: Universidad Veracruzana – Mexico

Universidad Veracruzana - To be sustainable is to live sustainability in a conscious manner: Sustainable UV 

The Universidad Veracruzana’s (UV) sustainability programme is a 10-year old institutional project dedicated to integrating the human and systemic sustainability approach to the university’s core functions (teaching, research, outreach and campus management) with the broad participation of its community. It consists in 5 interwoven working themes with several projects: healthy nutrition and responsible consumption; sustainable institutional management; water, energy and waste management; sustainable urban mobility and campus spaces; and education and communication for sustainability. Under a scheme of social responsibility, the university has promoted sustainability, interculturality and gender equity practices among its community and the most vulnerable sectors of the state of Veracruz through its intercultural branch (UVI), its social service brigades and the collaboration with the productive, public and social sectors. 

Top three learnings: 

1. Our community and the alliances with other sectors are two of our most valuable assets. 
2. Sustainability is built mostly bottom-up, with the will and support of the head office. 
3. Our achievements are the result of the dialogue, plurality and innovation of our members.