Policies & Charters

To guide, inspire and empower us on our path to zero carbon, the DCU Sustainability Council set out our pledge in this Sustainability Charter in 2021. It is the bedrock for everything we do across our academic work and operations. 

DCU Sustainability Charter. 

DCU's water conservation mission is to ensure our community receives a safe and reliable supply of clean potable water across all campuses and facilities, and endeavour to conserve this most valuable resource, both responsibly and sustainably. 

DCU is fully committed to responsible water management and strives to efficiently manage and reduce the consumption of water whilst providing an optimal learning and research environment. 

Our policy is to:

• Commit to Water Conservation, Continual Water Management Improvement and Regulation Compliance
• Set Aggressive Targets to Reduce Water Consumption and Costs
• Promote Water Conservation throughout the DCU Community and Engage with Research and Learning
• Project a Water Conservation-Friendly Image, Demonstrate Stewardship Commitment and Lead by Example
• Continuously Review Water Conservation Strategy, Planning, Targets and Progress

The Green Committee at Dublin City University, made up of volunteer staff and students, believes in a sustainable future that provides the fair and equitable balance that is needed to share the earth’s resources between all its inhabitants.  It believes that as an educational institution DCU much tackle this existential challenge through our teaching and learning, research and innovation and by operationally working toward reducing our carbon emissions. It is an enormous task that we must all tackle together.

Our Green Committee is committed to

• embedding sustainable practices across our University
• informing and educating other within the DCU Community about importance of sustainability and why we need to create a more sustainable future
• informing and educating other within DCU on what they can do to have a positive impact both on and off campus
• informing and educating our wider community, including family and friends about importance of sustainability and why we need to create a more sustainable future
• informing and educating our wider community, including family and friends about what they can do to have a positive impact the sustainability of our planet

DCU aims to manage our procurement activities in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. This includes making procurement decisions based on maintaining a balance between economic, social and environmental factors, incorporating national guidance on Green Public Procurement (GPP), training staff about best practices and encouraging suppliers to operate sustainably. 

More information can be found in the Procurement Policy. 

Sustainability is a key focus of the DCU strategy. In that context, given the negative impact of emissions on the environment, before deciding to travel individuals should consider whether the same business outcomes could be achieved in a more environmentally friendly way.

 More information about DCU's commitment to sustainability can be found in the Travel, Subsistence and Other Expenses Policy (Appendix 1). 

DCU is committed to responsible Energy Management which involves reducing our consumption while maintaining an optimal learning and research environment. We strive to use energy efficiently and responsibly across all of our Campuses, a key element of our overall Sustainability and Environmental Strategies. 

 More information can be found in DCU's Energy Policy.