Environmental sustainability - Third mission

  • 2030 Agenda
    The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an action program for people, the planet and prosperity, signed in September 2015 by the governments of the 193 UN member countries. It includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs within a broader action program consisting of 169 targets or milestones. The official launch of the Sustainable Development Goals coincided with the beginning of 2016, setting the world on the path to be followed over the next 15 years: countries have committed to achieving them by 2030.
  • M’Illumino di Meno
    M’Illumino di Meno is an initiative promoted by Rai Radio 2 through the radio program Caterpillar. Its purpose is to promote the National Day of Energy Saving and Sustainable Lifestyles, celebrated every 16 February. The Apulian universities (University of Bari, University of Salento, University of Foggia, Politecnico di Bari, LUM Giuseppe Degennaro University) are joining together again this year to participate in M’Illumino di Meno on 16 February 2024, as established by Italian Law 34/2022.
  • Third Mission Quality Policy of the University of Foggia
    The University undertakes to define, with monitoring at least every three years, its Third Mission policies, setting clearly defined objectives, taking into account the University’s strengths and weaknesses and the socio-economic context. It also commits to implementing Third Mission activities in coherence with the strategies outlined in the Three-Year Strategic Plan.
  • Territorial Pact for the Apulian University System
    The project aims to promote interdisciplinarity in degree programs and to train innovative and highly specialized professional profiles capable of meeting the needs expressed by the labor market and national production chains. It also seeks to improve and expand the university educational offer through its integration with related research, development and innovation activities.
  • European Researchers’ Night
    Once again this year, the University of Foggia has been awarded funding under the Call HORIZON-MSCA-2023-CITIZENS-01 – European Researchers’ Night 2024-2025, issued by the European Commission within the Horizon Europe Programme.
  • Unifg for Social Good – Food Collection Drive
    As part of its Third Mission and social impact activities, the University, in collaboration with the OdV Banco Alimentare della Daunia Francesco Vassalli of Foggia, will host a food collection drive on its campuses.
  • The City I Would Like
    First edition: 2023
    Second edition: 2024
    Third edition: 2025

International Rankings

The University of Foggia is included among Italian universities featured in the GreenMetric (GM) and Times Higher Education (THE) rankings and participates in the activities of the Italian Network of Sustainable Universities (Rete delle Università Sostenibili – RUS). In this context, a survey has been launched targeting teaching and technical-administrative staff to analyze certain aspects of the complex phenomenon of sustainability in universities, particularly the perception of key conceptual and cognitive categories suggested by the prevailing literature on the subject.

The University of Foggia has been included in the Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2025 (in association with Schmidt Science Fellows) in the 251–300 band.

The University of Foggia also participates in the THE Impact Ranking section that evaluates the implementation of the 2030 Agenda goals by participating universities.

UI GreenMetric World University Ranking was launched in 2010 and provides information on environmental sustainability in the university sector. Participation in the UI GreenMetric ranking has grown significantly, from 95 universities in 35 countries in 2010 to 912 universities in 84 countries in 2020. The purpose of this ranking is to provide an assessment system of current conditions and policies related to Green Campus and Sustainability in universities worldwide. It considers 39 indicators across 6 criteria: Setting and Infrastructure (SI), Energy and Climate Change (EC), Waste (WS), Water (WR), Transportation (TR), and Education (ED). The University of Foggia has participated in the ranking since 2020.

  • University Strategic Plan 2023–2025
    The University Strategic Plan (PSA) sets out the political direction of the University and defines its vision and mission. It serves as the central reference and synthesis point for all planning documents, including: the Three-Year Programming of the Ministry of University and Research (PRO3), the University Budget, the Integrated Plan of Activities and Organization (PIAO), Departmental Strategic Plans, Quality Policies, Educational Offer Policies, and the Strategic Plan for Building Development (PSSE). Among the various objectives, particular emphasis is placed on promoting cultural development, innovation, and the social, environmental and economic sustainability of the University – Strategic Objective IRS.2 Specifically: Increase the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the University – Operational Objective IRS.2.2

Network of Universities for Sustainable Development (RUS)

The University of Foggia, together with over 80 other Italian universities, is a member of the Network of Universities for Sustainable Development (RUS), an initiative promoted by the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI). It represents the first coordinated effort and sharing experience among all Italian universities engaged in environmental sustainability and social responsibility issues.

The institutional objectives of RUS are:

  1. Harmonization of institutional activities and improvement of environmental and social management, including through a permanent observatory on university sustainability and the definition of a shared framework and appropriate metrics for monitoring environmental, social and economic performance and related benchmarking activities;
  2. Creation of a community capable of developing, disseminating, transferring and adapting national and international best practices, and adequately representing members and RUS itself at national and international level, with particular attention to sustainability dimensions in international rankings and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals;
  3. Promotion within the network of successful projects already tested by one or more members and joint development of new initiatives in knowledge and skills transfer, teaching, and university management and operations, with a multi-stakeholder and multidisciplinary learning and cross-contamination approach;
  4. Development of the transdisciplinary educational dimension of university programs to help grow the culture of sustainable development and influence the adoption of correct lifestyles by students, also using new pedagogical approaches and innovative engagement initiatives;
  5. Training and updating on sustainable development issues for all Italian university staff (teaching, technical-administrative, language experts and collaborators), and possibly for teachers of other school levels;
  6. Development of awareness-raising and promotion initiatives at local, national and international level, from a stakeholder engagement perspective;
  7. Increased collaboration with public institutions and public and private companies for RUS purposes, within the framework of the university’s Third Mission;
  8. Formulation of opinions and proposals on matters within its competence, when requested by institutional bodies.

Current RUS activities are carried out through the following Working Groups:

  1. Climate change
  2. Education
  3. Energy
  4. Mobility
  5. Resources and waste
  6. Inclusion and social justice
  7. Food

For further details, please refer to the national RUS website. 

Source: RUS – Network of Universities fo.r Sustainable Development

In 2024, the five Apulian universities joined forces for the first time to create RUS Puglia, an agreement aimed at developing joint projects in the field of sustainable development.

CANIE – Climate Action Network for International Educators

On 20 December 2024, the University of Foggia signed an agreement with CANIE (Climate Action Network for International Educators), an organization officially recognized within the QS Sustainability Ranking and the World University Ranking. 

CANIE’s goal is to lead concrete climate actions promoted by universities worldwide and to disseminate sustainable practices on a global scale. 

To date, more than 80 organizations have signed the agreement and are working to achieve over 2,500 climate action commitments worldwide.

The University of Foggia is the first Italian university to join CANIE and has appointed Prof. Mariantonietta Fiore and Prof. Giulio Mario Cappelletti as the Rector’s delegated representatives.

The agreement between universities and CANIE aims to:

  • Lead concrete climate actions promoted by universities globally
  • Promote and disseminate sustainable practices in universities worldwide
  • Create an international network of educational institutions committed to sustainability, encouraging collaboration and the exchange of best practices

Under this agreement, the University of Foggia commits to:

  1. Identify specific climate actions in various strategic areas, including: Leadership and influence Emissions accounting and reduction Travel Facilities, operations and procurement Climate education
  2. Achieve measurable targets, such as contributing to the global goal of over 2,500 climate action commitments.
  3. Monitor and report progress, ensuring transparency and sharing results within the international network.
  4. Promote engagement and awareness among students, faculty and staff, spreading a culture of sustainability throughout the university.

More information on CANIE