Reykjavik University achieves the first goals of the Green Flag project

Reykjavik University has now achieved the first goals of the Green Flag project, and the Green Flag was raised for the first time this Wednesday. Grænfáninn is an environmental education and sustainability programme for schools, coordinated by Landvernd, the Icelandic Environment Association, and linked to the international Eco-Schools initiative.

Schools that receive the certification have demonstrated active work in environmental awareness, sustainability, and student participation in ecological projects.

The Green Flag project is student-centred, and students chose consumption and the circular economy as the theme for RU’s first phase. Over the past year, they have worked on projects related to the circular economy and sustainability, including a successful clothing swap market, a charity week, and Plokkdagurinn, a community clean-up day. In addition, RU’s Sustainability Day has become an established event at the university, featuring lectures and activities.

The Green Flag recognises that RU students have demonstrated the ability to address issues related to sustainable development, to seize opportunities to be active participants in environmental and sustainability matters, to set goals, to work with their own ideas, and to have a positive impact on their community.

Says Bryndís Björk Ásgeirsdóttir, vice president, education, students and sustainability at RU. Representatives from Landvernd presented the Green Flag, and Erna María Beck and Orri Þór Eggertsson accepted it on behalf of the Student Association of Reykjavik University (SFHR). The milestone was celebrated with students and staff.

The Green Flag project aims to strengthen education in sustainability and environmental issues, empower students to become active participants in environmental and sustainability work, reduce the environmental footprint of school operations, and increase global awareness.

Landvernd oversees the Green Flag project in Iceland in collaboration with the international organisation Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Schools participating in the program follow a structured process that integrates environmental issues into daily activities through active environmental committees, defined projects, and working groups. Following an evaluation assessing how successfully schools have achieved their goals, the Green Flag is raised at the school.

The concept of sustainable development originates from the 1987 United Nations report Our Common Future, prepared under the leadership of Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway. The report defines sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The definition is based on three main pillars: society, the economy, and the environment.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are built on these three pillars. They are broad and ambitious, affecting every aspect of daily life on Earth and requiring participation and cooperation among a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, municipalities, institutions, businesses, schools, and volunteer organisations.