The term “Green” means eco-friendly or not damaging the environment. This can acronymically be called as “Global Readiness in Ensuring Ecological Neutrality” (GREEN). Green Audit can be defined as the systematic identification quantification, recording, reporting & analysis of components of ecological diversity & expressing the same in financial or social terms. The ‘Green Audit’ aims to analyze environmental practices within and outside the college campus, which impact the eco-friendly ambiance. It was initiated to inspect the work conducted within the organizations whose exercises can cause risk to the health of inhabitants and the environment. Through Green Audit, one gets a direction as to how to improve the condition of the environment and various factors have determined the growth of carrying out Green Audit.

 

The green audit can be a useful tool for a college to determine how and where they are using the most energy or resources; the college can then consider how to implement changes and make savings. It can also be used to determine the type and volume of waste, which can be used for a recycling project or to improve a waste minimization plan. It can create health consciousness and promote environmental awareness, values, and ethics. It provides staff and students with a better understanding of the green impact on campus. As environmental sustainability is becoming an increasingly important issue for the nation, the role of higher educational institutions concerning environmental sustainability is more prevalent. 

The rapid urbanization and economic development at the local, regional, and global level has led to several environmental and ecological crises. On this background, it becomes essential to adopt the system of the Green Campus for the institutes which will lead to sustainable development and at the same time reduce a sizable amount of atmospheric carbon-di-oxide from the environment.

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The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has made it mandatory that all Higher Educational Institutions should submit an annual Green Audit Report. In recent times, the Green Audit of an institution has been becoming paramount important for self-assessment of the institution which reflects the role of the institution in mitigating the present environmental problems. Many institutions undertake a lot of good measures to resolve these problems but are not documented due to a lack of green documentation awareness. All these nonscholastic efforts of the administrations play an important role in ensuring the green quotient of the campus is intact.

Therefore, the purpose of the present green audit is to identify, quantify, describe, and prioritize the framework of Environment Sustainability in compliance with the applicable regulations, policies, and standards. 

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Rules and regulations

Following are the various acts and laws of the land that need to be considered for a green audit:

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Things that are covered in a green audit

Main Objective of Green Audit:

·        Floral and Faunal diversity

·        Meteorological parameters 

·        Energy Consumptions 

·        Waste disposal system

·        Ambient Environmental Conditions

·        Geographical Location

·        Health conditions

·        Carbon accounting

·        Awareness & Training on Sustainability for students

 

 

Educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities have a significant impact on the environment due to their energy consumption, waste generation, and transportation needs. Several educational institutions in West Bengal have taken the initiative to conduct environmental audits to assess their environmental impact and identify areas for improvement. The audits are mainly focused on greening indicators like fossil fuel, quality of soil and water, vegetation, waste management practices, and the carbon footprint of the campus, etc. More institutions in West Bengal are recognizing the importance of environmental auditing to promote sustainability.

 

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Malpractice of Green Audits 

In the case of Vedanta, the green audit process was compromised. Vedanta's Alumina Refinery in Lanjigarh was criticized by the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (the statutory environmental regulation body) for air pollution and water pollution in the area. According to Amnesty International, local people reported dust, allegedly from the plant, settling on clothes, crops, and food. An environmental inspection of the plant reported water pollution by the plant including a small increase of the pH value of the river Vamshadhara below the refinery and a high level of SPM in the stack emissions.

 

Way forward 

The way forward for green audits in India is to adopt technologies like remote sensing, drones, and AI to collect and analyze environmental data. India is a developing country and adapting science and technology for its progression. There is improvement in the lifestyle but on the other side it is creating exploitation of the environment. It is recognized that the maintenance of a healthy environment is not the responsibility of the state alone. It is the responsibility of every citizen and thus a spirit of partnership is to be realized through the environmental management of the country. By realizing the need for responsibility towards the environment, NAAC, an autonomous body under UGC (University Grants Commission), has added the concept of environmental audit to the accreditation methodologies of universities and colleges.