Students and staff

Eco-Campus

 

Eco-Campus 

Recognising the University of Latvia's achievements in the field of environmental education and protection, the University of Latvia has been awarded the Latvian Eco-Campus Certificate for the 2025/2026 academic year. The University of Latvia has participated in the Eco-Schools Programme since 2022, carrying out an environmental impact assessment every year. The purpose of the University's environmental impact assessment is to support the Eco-Council in selecting an appropriate priority theme and developing an action plan tailored to the University's environmental context, aimed at reducing the institution's impact on the environment. The University of Latvia first received the Eco-Campus certificate for the 2022/2023 academic year, and the first Green Flag for the 2024/2025 academic year, and has qualified for every academic year after.  

What is the Eco-Schools Programme? 

Globally, the Eco-Schools Programme is coordinated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE International), a non-profit non-governmental organisation founded in 1981 in Leiden, the Netherlands. Today, Eco-Schools is the largest educational programme in the world, active in over 100 countries and involving more than 45,000 schools and institutions worldwide. It is a partner of the United Nations Environment Programme in environmental education and provides a framework for the effective integration of environmental protection and education activities into the daily life of educational institutions. 

In Latvia, the Environmental Education Foundation has been implementing FEE International programmes since 1998, and the Eco-Schools Programme was launched in 2002. Currently, more than 200 educational institutions operate within the programme in Latvia, ranging from pre-schools to higher education institutions. 

Participation in the Eco-Campus Programme takes place through the establishment and operation of an environmental management system, as well as through continuous work on environmental issues within the institution. This management system is developed in accordance with the Eco-Campus Programme's seven-step criteria. These steps are: 

  • Eco-Committee 
  • Sustainability audit 
  • Curriculum links 
  • Action plan 
  • Monitoring and evaluation 
  • Informing and involving 
  • Produce an Eco-Code 

A defining feature of this seven-step methodology, as described by FEE, is that it is designed to be student-led, actively involving the whole student body alongside staff and the wider community. At the University of Latvia, this student-led role is fulfilled by the University of Latvia Eco-Council, the University's Eco-Committee under the programme. 

Each year, through the Eco-Campus Programme, the University of Latvia carries out an environmental review. The aim of this environmental impact assessment is to assist the Eco-Council in selecting an appropriate priority theme and developing an action plan suited to the University's environmental situation, helping to reduce the institution's impact on the environment. 

University of Latvia Eco-Council 

What is the UL Eco-Council? 

The University of Latvia Eco-Council is a consultative and coordinating collegial body that supports the University's Head of Sustainable Development and management in advancing environmental sustainability, and serves as the University's Eco-Committee within the international Eco-Campus/Eco-Schools framework. 

The Eco-Council was established as a joint initiative of the University of Latvia Student Council, the LU Study Development and Governance Improvement Programme, and the LU Academic Centre Development Programme - meaning the Council's creation was, in part, the Student Council's own decision and initiative, not something introduced to students from outside. Under the Council's founding statute (Nolikums, approved by Rector's order No. 1-4/457 of 29.10.2025), the Council is responsible for the implementation of the Eco-Campus programme's steps, and for promoting environmental and student interests at the University in cooperation with the University of Latvia Student Council. 

The Council's tasks are to: 

  • promote the development of environmental sustainability measures and initiatives at the University of Latvia; 
  • promote the University of Latvia's participation in the Eco-Campus programme and other equivalent sustainability certification and assessment systems; 
  • submit and advance proposals to the LU Head of Sustainable Development and University management regarding sustainability priorities and strategic issues in the field of environmental sustainability; 
  • provide proposals and opinions on existing draft documents, regulatory enactments, reports, plans, strategies, project and programme plans and reports, as well as any other available documentation related to the work of the Council. 

The Council also has the right to invite experts and to form commissions and working groups, and to review and prioritise proposals relevant to its work. 

Composition 

The Council consists of no more than 15 members. The composition of the Council and its Chair are approved by the Rector of the University of Latvia with an order. The composition of the Council includes: 

  • a representative of the Infrastructure Management Service; 
  • a representative of the Institutional Development Centre; 
  • a representative of the Communications Department; 
  • a representative of the Infrastructure Development Department; 
  • representatives of the University of Latvia's academic and general staff; 
  • five student representatives put forward by the University of Latvia Student Council; 
  • the Head of Sustainable Development. 

Candidates for membership - whether students or staff - must have no disciplinary or academic ethics violations, and student representatives must additionally be in good academic standing. 

Students elect their own representatives and made the Eco-Council student led society whose purpose is to engage with sustainability.  

The five student seats on the Eco-Council are not filled by appointment from University administration: electing Eco-Council representatives ("Ekopadomes pārstāvju vēlēšanas") is a standing agenda item and formal vote at the General Assembly (Kopsapulce) of the University of Latvia Student Council, meaning students themselves deliberately choose who represents them on the Council each year. 

Current members of the Eco-Council: 

  • Chair – Renārs Kairis, Head of Sustainable Development, University of Latvia 
  • Vice-Chair – Adrians Zutis, Head of Social affairs of the UL Student Council 
  • Agrita Briede, Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology 
  • Iveta Šteinberga, Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology 
  • Jānis Brizga, Leading Researcher and Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology 
  • Kitija Balcare, Leading Expert, Institutional Development Centre 
  • Guntars Greters, Director, Infrastructure Management Service 
  • Ieva Stare, Director, Communications Department 
  • Līva Rutkovska, Project Manager, Infrastructure Development Department 
  • Marta Estere Skrābāne, student, Faculty of Science and Technology 
  • Kārlis Bergs, student, Faculty of Science and Technology 
  • Raitis Riters, student, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences 
  • Gustavs Nagainis, student, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences 

Coordination with the Student Council's Social Affairs direction 

Collaboration on environmental issues between the LU Student Council and the Eco-Council is coordinated through the Student Council's Social Affairs direction (Sociālais virziens), whose leadership works alongside the Eco-Council to sponsor and organise activities that students themselves have identified as important. Examples of joint activities carried out this way include: 

  • an autumn e-waste collection campaign ("Elektro-tehno dienas"), which recovered 80 kg of small electronics for recycling in cooperation with Eco Baltia vide; 
  • a December textile collection campaign, gathering 50 kg of textiles for the charity "Taureņa efekts"; 
  • "LU Zaļā ceturtdiena" ("UL Green Thursday"), a recurring monthly discussion event on sustainable habits on campus; 
  • the University's annual Spring Clean-up ("Pavasara talka") at the UL Botanical Garden, a long-running Student Council tradition now organised jointly with the Eco-Council. 

Governance 

The Council convenes as needed, but no less than four times a year, called by the Chair. It is quorate with at least half of its members present, and decisions are taken by a majority vote of those present, with the Chair's vote deciding in the event of a tie. Meetings are minuted and are open by default, except where the Council decides otherwise for objective reasons (e.g. discussion of restricted information). The Chair reports to University management on the Council's activities once a year. 

Get involved 

The University of Latvia is open to cooperation in the field of environmental sustainability. All members of the University of Latvia community are invited to approach the Eco-Council with initiatives, proposals, and an interest in active participation, via ekopadome@lu.lv. 

Approved by University of Latvia order No. 1-4/457 of 29 October 2025 - Statute of the University of Latvia Eco-Council.