From vision to visibility: Green Campus initiatives at Ankara’s universities

As the climate crisis intensifies, universities are increasingly adopting the Green Campus model to promote sustainability through energy efficiency, waste reduction, sustainable transportation, and water conservation. These initiatives align closely with the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate action). As centres of innovation and education, universities play a vital role in fostering environmental responsibility among future generations. This study examines the implementation of the Green Campus model in Ankara, Turkey, by analysing how local universities communicate their sustainability commitments through official websites. The research is based on the 2024 UI (Universitas Indonesia) GreenMetric World University Rankings, which evaluate universities across six key indicators: infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste, water, transportation, and education and research. The findings reveal notable differences in the depth and clarity of sustainability engagement across universities. For instance, Middle East Technical University demonstrates a holistic approach by publicly promoting reforestation and energy-efficient infrastructure projects. In contrast, some institutions mention sustainability only in general terms, lacking project-specific transparency. Financial limitations, weak institutional culture, and minimal regulatory pressure emerge as major challenges affecting implementation and visibility. By focusing on online representations of sustainability, this research highlights how universities position themselves within global climate discourse and offers valuable insights for policymakers, university administrators, and sustainability advocates aiming to enhance higher education’s role in climate action. Ultimately, transparent and accessible sustainability communication is essential to increasing awareness, fostering engagement, and reinforcing institutional responsibility across academic communities.