On December 6th Nova Medical School (NMS) was awarded the recognition of Eco-School within an Eco-Campus from the Association “Bandeira Azul de Ambiente e Educação”, the Portuguese branch of the Foundation for Environmental Education (ABAAE/FEE P). NMS was one of 20 Higher Education Institutions granted with an Eco-campus certification, renewing last year´s recognition.
This is a decade long journey for NMS, recognized as an Eco-School since 2015, and in 2022 for the first time with an “EcoCampus Portugal” Award, to be awarded to institutions that are already part of the Eco-Schools in Higher Education network (colleges, higher schools, universities and polytechnics).
The certification is the result of a multistep process including on-site audits, analysis of Action Plans and environmental management practices and student surveys. At NMS, every year several activities are developed that involve the entire community and promote the values defended by the Program. The NMS Sustainability and Eco-Schools Council (currently composed of 6 students, 4 teachers and 6 non-teaching staff) meets quarterly to plan activities to be implemented, with a view to continuous improvement and adapted to the reality of the faculty. The great commitment and involvement of the students, aware of this reality, has been the greatest contribution to the implementation of this Program at NMS.
SDG target 4.7- By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development