Theam Foo Ng, Mohd Wira Mohd Shafiei, Mohd Sukri Shafie, Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, Ulisses M. Azeiteiro, Henri-Count Evans, Inga Grinfelde, José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra, Jasenka Gajdoš Kljusurić, João Carlos Correia Leitão, Chunlan Li, Newton R. Matandirotya, Bethwel Mutai, Gustavo J. Nagy, Thierry Razanakoto, Jame Schaefer, Goran Trbic, Roberto Ariel Abeldaño Zuñiga, Sane Pashane Zuka, Charles Galdies, Adriana Consorte-McCrea, Francisco Platas, Mittul Vahanvati, Pedi Obani, Safwatun Nida, Lucas Gabriel Zanon, Mayara Régia Sousa de Melo, Alison Glover, Roman Vakulchuk
Energy is frequently identified as a key driver of climate change, with the majority of global energy production relying on fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. These resources are carbon-intensive, and their combustion releases significant quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the Earth’s atmosphere. Among these, carbon dioxide and methane are the primary contributors to global warming, which, in turn, causes extreme weather events and broader climate changes. Consequently, the governance and management of higher education institutions (HEIs) play a crucial role in addressing climate change. This chapter presents a review of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), a sustainability-oriented university in Malaysia, exploring its implementation of energy efficiency (EE) and energy conservation (EC) strategies. USM has spearheaded several initiatives, including (i) establishing a dedicated department to lead education and training in energy efficiency, (ii) formulating policies and partnerships to promote EE and EC, (iii) utilizing renewable energy sources to generate electricity for campus operations, and (iv) embedding best practices in EE and EC across various departments. These initiatives not only enhance the university’s sustainability efforts but also contribute significantly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG7, which emphasizes access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Minden, Malaysia; Center for Food Security Studies, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa Univesity, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; The Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Eswatini, Manzini, Kwaluseni Campus, Matsapha, South Africa; Institute of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, Latvia; Center for Sustainable Development (Greens), Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (Unisul), Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil; School of Urban and Regional Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Centre, Beitbridge, Zimbabwe; Kgotso Development Trust, Beitbridge, Zimbabwe; Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay; CERED, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar; Marquette University, Milwaukee, United States; University of Sierra Sur, Oaxaca, Mexico; University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Land Economy, University of Malawi, The Polytechnic, Blantyre 3, Malawi; Institute of Earth Systems, University of Malta, Msida, Malta; Academy for Sustainable Futures, Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom; Casa de Cultura de la UAEMéx en Tlalpan, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico; School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom; Science Education Department of Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia; University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil; State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil; The Open University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Global Sustainability Studies (CGSS), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Malaysia; School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Malaysia; Centre for Education and Training in Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency & Green Technology (CETREE), CGSS, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Malaysia; Centre for Education and Training in Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Green Technology (CETREE), CGSS, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Minden, Malaysia
