Our Guácimo Campus is honored for its environmental excellence!

Thanks to the efforts of the Environmental Action Unit and the commitment of the entire EARTH community, our University has received for the fifth time the Environmental Excellence Award granted by Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE in Spanish), through the Directorate of Environmental Quality Management (DIGECA in Spanish) and the Ministry of Health. This recognition is given to all public institutions that stand out for their performance in the Institutional Environmental Management Program (PGAI in Spanish).

“This is an award given to Costa Rican public institutions. However, EARTH is the only private university that joined the PGAI voluntarily,” says Manrique Arguedas, who has been the program’s leading advocate.

This year, 12 ministries, 16 municipalities, three universities, two professional associations, four banks, 13 institutes, and six public companies, among others, took part in the PGAI. Of the 81 entities that participated, 40 obtained a score of 100%, and 10 achieved 106%, including our University. We were recognized for extra efforts like implementing innovative projects, receiving another environmental award such as the Ecological Blue Flag Award (Bandera Azul), and executing community initiatives.

Between 2016 and 2021, the Environmental Action Unit (Unidad de Acción Ambiental – UAA in Spanish) nominated our University for the PGAI. This year, EARTH renewed its commitment for the 2022-2026 period. In 2019, EARTH became the first university in Costa Rica to receive recognition for environmental excellence. The UAA focused on three action areas to make this achievement possible, along with other goals in the more than 30 years it has existed.

1. Management: Through the PGAI and the Ecological Blue Flag Program, the environmental impact, caused by daily activities at the campus, is annually recorded, controlled, and measured. This approach manages waste management, water resources, energy efficiency, carbon inventories, and alternative energy sources.
2. Education: UAA promotes environmental education in the community by generating activities throughout the year and training all staff, faculty, and students.
3. Extension: It is also responsible for disseminating the best environmental practices developed at the campus through continuous and permanent participation in projects with national and international impact.

Thanks to this constant work, EARTH has become a benchmark for other educational institutions. We congratulate the Environmental Action Unit and the entire community for having EARTH stand out for its excellence and environmental commitment.