Environmental management practices in higher education institution: a case study in a university located in south of Brazil

Environmental management presents itself as an alternative to contribute to the reduction of environmental impacts resulting from the wide and often incorrect use of natural resources by organizations. In this regard, it is understood that many companies seek international certifications and/or implement Environmental Management Systems (EMS) to impact their final consumers more efficiently, who, in turn, adopt an environmentally correct stance. In this sense, the present study aims to investigate environmental management practices at a university located in the southern region of Brazil. To achieve the proposed objective, a qualitative approach is adopted in a single case study according to Yin's (2015) specifications. As a result, notably important and pertinent actions towards sustainability are evidenced by the university in question, even though it does not effectively have a properly established EMS to mitigate its negative impacts on the environment.