Towards a greener university

Although a large part of the buildings of the Charles University are located in the urban centres of Prague, Pilsen, or Hradec Králové, there are also significant areas of green space and bodies of water. Consistent care and careful use of these areas is in the interest and responsibility of the university and is part of the Sustainable Development Strategy of Charles University.

The planned water management focuses both on saving drinking water, for example, by installing water-saving taps, and on the secondary use of so-called grey water. Although this is waste water, it does not contain sanitary waste and can therefore be used for flushing or irrigating green areas. Rainwater can also be used for the same purpose, which certain CU buildings already capture with special systems.

Thanks to the participation of Charles University in the CRP Thematic Working Group of the UNILEAD II project, Czech universities are cooperating in the area of water management and sharing good practice.

An important problem of urban development is the runoff and loss of rainwater with a negative impact on the (micro)climate and ecosystems. Appropriate management of green areas under university management and thus enhanced the retention of rainwater in the city can be a solution. A green space and stormwater passport analysis, necessary to define appropriate measures, is being developed in a pilot study by the Faculty of Science of CU. The resulting comprehensive information on the state of greenery and stormwater flow is intended to serve both the efficient management of stormwater and the promotion of biodiversity on university land.

The global impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services are addressed by the university in the context of mapping out operational and purchasing impacts. To this end, the CU Responsible Public Procurement Strategy has been approved to take into account sustainability considerations throughout the sector. The long-term aim is to compile effective interventions that will reduce the negative impacts of the university's operations.