UI GreenMetric and IUTE Unite Global Campuses for Real Climate Action

Universitas yang menerapkan standar keberlanjutan terbukti mampu menekan konsumsi energi hingga 30 per cent. Depok (ANTARA) - UI GreenMetric, in collaboration with the International University of Tourism and Entrepreneurship (IUTE) in Tajikistan, is organising the Summit of Rectors of Green Universities, or the High-Level Conference of Green Campuses, in Tajikistan, uniting global campuses for tangible climate action. The event, taking place from 14 to 17 April 2026, represents a crucial moment for higher education institutions to move beyond fragmented plans towards systemic and practical execution on the ground. Dr Vishnu Juwono, Head of UI GreenMetric, in his statement on Wednesday, emphasised the narrow timeframe to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Citing a United Nations report, he noted that current global progress is deemed extremely slow and concerning due to climate pressures and geopolitical uncertainties. As the initiator and global standard for green campus rankings, UI GreenMetric has proven that universities possess substantial economic and operational power. Based on ongoing data collection, universities implementing sustainability standards have successfully reduced energy consumption by up to 30 per cent, while integrating far more efficient infrastructure and resource management. With a total of over 235 million students worldwide, higher education institutions serve as long-term impact multipliers, capable of shaping societal behaviours and producing future decision-makers. As the host organiser, IUTE Tajikistan plays a strategic role in facilitating this cross-country dialogue. Hosting the summit in Dushanbe affirms that universities in developing countries are now at the forefront in determining the direction of global climate adaptation. IUTE Tajikistan’s initiative demonstrates the region’s commitment to bridging environmental transitions with digital progress, ensuring that technological advancements like artificial intelligence align with natural preservation and do not widen disparities. Furthermore, the forum encourages all parties to transform campus sustainability data into concrete policies connected to large-scale green financing from institutions such as the Asian Development Bank. Vishnu Juwono reiterated the fundamental role that higher education institutions must undertake. “The defining challenge of our era is not whether transformation is needed, but whether it can be realised quickly enough. The determining institutions of the future are not those operating within the system, but those capable of redesigning the system itself. Universities must be part of those institutions,” stated Vishnu.