Case Studies

On January 18, 2024, the RANE (Réseau des Ambassadeurs de la Nature à l’École) student network at the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) in Côte d’Ivoire hosted a hands-on plastic waste recycling workshop. The event brought together 27 participants, including students, a teacher, and members of RANE, with the objective of raising awareness and building practical skills around plastic reuse. Participants were introduced to creative recycling techniques and successfully transformed discarded plastics into decorative and functional items. This activity not only reduced waste but also sparked new conversations about resource use and circular economy practices within the campus community. By empowering students to take action and rethink waste as a resource, the initiative contributed to shifting mindsets toward sustainability and reinforced INP-HB’s commitment to environmental responsibility. This workshop is one of several student-led actions aiming to reduce pollution and promote eco-conscious behavior on campus.

As part of a mission to make the campus greener and raise climate awareness, the student-led team, IUB Tree Planters, launched the "Grow Green, Grow Bangladesh" initiative at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). The team planted around 100 native trees across the campus with support from around 25 students and faculty members. The goal was to engage the university community and inspire long-term environmental responsibility. This small but meaningful step helped create a stronger connection between students and nature, while also addressing Dhaka’s growing heat and pollution problems. The team plans to continue the effort by involving more students and expanding into nearby communities.

On March 22 and 23, 2025, the RANE (Réseau des Ambassadeurs de la Nature à l’École) student network led a large-scale waste collection and environmental awareness campaign at the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) in Côte d’Ivoire. The campaign aimed to improve waste management on campus while fostering a stronger sense of environmental responsibility among students and staff. Over two days, students, teachers, administrative staff, and RANE members collaborated to distribute labeled waste bins in key campus locations, conduct awareness sessions, and demonstrate proper waste sorting practices. The initiative also included collective cleaning of residences and restroom facilities. This hands-on approach to sustainability significantly improved the cleanliness of the campus and encouraged long-term behavioral change. The campaign exemplified how student-led initiatives can unite the university community around shared environmental goals and contribute meaningfully to biodiversity and waste reduction efforts.

Since the beginning, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) Art Club has found creative ways to make art more sustainable. In 2023, the club started turning old event banners—once stored underground for disposal—into beautiful Alpona canvases for Falgun and Baishakh celebrations. What began as a way to protect the floors quickly turned into a meaningful tradition that gives new life to forgotten materials. Each year, campus events produce tons of banners and posters. Instead of letting them go to waste, the club transforms them into colorful, expressive pieces—reducing waste while encouraging others to think creatively about sustainability. It doesn’t stop at banners. The club also reuses plastic bottles, paper cups, wood scraps, tires, and even spoons to create stunning event decorations. These efforts reflect not just artistic flair, but a genuine commitment to protecting the environment and inspiring others to do the same. At IUB, art and responsibility go hand in hand.

This collaborative initiative is being led by the Nature Positive Universities Ambassadors at both the University of Sydney (USYD) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and focuses on soft plastics collection and awareness. At USYD, a new soft plastics station will soon be launched, and at UNSW, they are looking to build on the existing clear soft plastics collection system and expand its reach. The aim is to reduce contamination through better signage and education and encourage responsible waste behaviour through effective marketing and advocacy. They are closely working with Sustainability Officers and Estate Management at UNSW. The initiative is set to kick start in the last quarter of 2025. The featured picture shows collaboration between the two universities on this project.

The latest BioBlitz took place in August 2024 at the Skanssi Biodiversity Park, an area designed for both recreation and education. As a part of the Skanssi Biodiversity Park Initiative - which aims to actively monitor and improve biodiversity in the area – the event ran continuously for 21 hours. Its goal was to identify the dominant species during late summer and early fall. Participants also enjoyed a variety of educational sessions, including presentations on vipers, a lecture-tour on slime moulds, and demonstrations of various insect traps in action. Together with a previous BioBlitz event held at the park earlier in June, over 1000 species were documented in the area. The events not only inspired participants to observe nature in a new way but also provided experts with valuable feedback from local park users. This input – along with future research in the area – will guide the development of the area. Both events drew significant public interest, and many attendees discovered a new passion for the biodiversity of their living spaces.

Utrecht University has mapped its biodiversity footprint to investigate the impact of its activities on nature and species diversity. Thanks to this measurement, the university now know exactly where they can make the most impact and where their efforts will make the most difference. Utrecht University are generating more and more of their own energy sustainably. The default catering option is already vegetarian. By using less animal protein and chocolate, the footprint can be reduced even further. The ambition for 2030 is clear: to reduce UU's biodiversity footprint by at least 35%. In the long term, Utrecht University want to help restore what they influence.

As part of its commitment to environmental sustainability and the Nature Positive Pledge, the University of Aveiro has developed an online platform that acts as an 'open book' of the university's natural heritage. UAnature provides a scientifically validated and accessible inventory of biodiversity and geodiversity across all UAveiro campuses. It currently documents 69 animal species, 192 plant species, 44 fungi and igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Each species or rock type has a dedicated profile with a description, geolocation and photographs. UNature allows users to explore the interaction between built, landscaped and natural areas, and their contribution to nature conservation. Designed as a dynamic tool, it is continuously updated with scientifically validated data to support the identification of threatened species and the development of protection measures. The platform encourages citizen engagement and offers valuable resources for research and teaching, thereby enhancing environmental literacy and strengthening UAveiro’s positive impact on nature.

To establish how the University of Oxford's Colleges are utilised by nature, biodiversity audits were conducted in the summer of 2021 and the summer of 2022. The results of this data collection, which was carried out by staff and students, show college land cover and the species detected in them, including hundreds of insect and tree species, threatened bird species, and species providing essential ecosystem services such as pollination and nutrient cycling. Biodiversity baselines are critical for biodiversity goal setting for colleges and the Conference of Colleges, providing information on how colleges support biodiversity across different groups, and opportunities for comparison with future audits.

In June 2024, The University Santiago de Cali (USC) became a strategic ally of the Cauca River Collective, hoping to develop activities that will consolidate the project as a management and governance model for the recovery of the water source. The Collective is a group of institutions dedicated to the recovery of the upper basin of the Cauca River, promoting its long-term sustainability. The strategic lines of the recovery plan include reducing pollution through the implementation of secondary treatment at the Cañaveralejo Wastewater Treatment Plant, the southern Cali drainage system, control of point and diffuse pollution in the Cauca River, the circular economy of water, and the use and transformation of Drinking Water Treatment Plants. They aim to keep records of knowledge, seek international alliances within the framework and contribute to financing the construction of the wastewater treatment plant, and also support efforts to decontaminate the Cauca River. They hope to aid the recovery of the biodiversity that characterised the area historically.