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[English Abstract] :
Since the 1990s, environmental management systems (EMSs) have been implemented across many industry sectors throughout the world. Originally designed as management tools for heavy polluting industries to reassess their production processes in order to curb environmental pollution, environmental management systems have started to conquer the service sector. Recently, higher education institutions have also shown increased interest in implementing voluntary EMSs. Universities are thereby responding to a transformation process within the higher education sector. As major education centers of future leaders, higher education institutions are not only expected to engage in teaching and research, but they are increasingly facing pressure from various stakeholders to recognize their critical role in the promotion of Sustainable Development.
Globally, two major formal environmental management system schemes can be found in the tertiary education sector: the ISO 14001 standards and the Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) of the European Union. This study aims to assess the potentials of such environmental management systems for universities, and elaborates their role in the promotion of Sustainable Development. While the primary target of EMSs lies in the achievement of legal compliance and efficiency gains (cost reduction), they also trigger indirect effects for the organization. Therefore, the work not only takes into account the direct
environmental impact but also the potential greening effects of EMS on administration, teaching, research as well as cooperation with industry. The study sets out to reveal the scope and limits of environmental management systems and therefore contributes to the academic debate on the significance of EMS for higher education institutions.