Identifying and Overcoming Communication Obstacles to the Implementation of Green Actions at Universities: A Case Study of Sustainable Energy Initiatives in South Brazil

Universities have become important stakeholders in the promotion of sustainable development through education and practical examples. Green campus initiatives are a way to convert unsustainable university campuses into living laboratories of opportunities for researchers and users to increase their awareness of sustainable development. However, as economic, environmental and social initiatives, the implementation of a green campus depends on changes to organizational strategic decisions and culture. This work is a case study of an university from the South of Brazil and aims to identify and overcome communication obstacles to the implementation of green campus practices in universities. The institution studied and applied three initiatives to achieve a sustainable campus. To identify obstacles to the implementation, eight interviews were conducted with project coordinators, researchers and operational staff from these four projects. The results demonstrate challenges for sustainable development initiatives in universities on a communication level. Based on these four cases, this article identified ways to overcome institutional communication obstacles for green campus initiatives at universities.