Guideline on University Development to Achieve ECO-UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Eco-University or a university emphasizing on energy and environment conservation is a concept resulting from current environmental problems, especially universities in urban areas or communities affected by external and internal pollution directly and indirectly caused by university population. Presently, as the country has accelerated resource consumption through economic development and also tried to enhance economic polar for urban growth after Industrial Revolution and agricultural sector development, urban area and community provided with public assistance affected by escalating environment problems. Nowadays human beings place more emphasis on energy and environment conservation concept aiming to balance development of economy, human being and nature and raise concerns over energy and environment value and importance of city, community, zone, schooland university. As for importance of university, some universities in Thailand have applied energy and environment conservation concept to their policy, strategy or guideline on developing and driving university in an attempt to be a university focusing on environment and reflecting coexistence of living creatures and environment (Eco-University). Embraced with green area and natural abundance, the ideal university promotes quality of life and environment as a good institution of university community and also raises concerns over energy and environment value. It also leads to changes in behavior through energy and environment conservation effort in the university in order to develop and achieve sustainable energy and environment conservation.