Environmental sustainability

Scuola Normale Superiore for Sustainability

The Scuola Normale Superiore promotes a culture of social, economic and environmental sustainability through its teaching, research and third mission activities. This commitment is accompanied by a focus on two aspects that are core for the functioning of the SNS itself: the quality of life of its community and the origin and use of the resources it employs. 
Since 2020 the Scuola Normale has been a member of the ASVIS (Alleanza ltaliana per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile) (Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development) protocol to plan and implement - in the Pisa area - actions consistent with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.
 

Actions

To date, the SNS has undertaken several actions aimed at improving its sustainability levels.

1. Drinking water
Throughout the SNS buildings there are many drinking water dispensers, directly connected to the public water supply and purified to drinking quality. In addition, as part of a campaign to promote the consumption of water free from disposable packaging, reusable water flasks were distributed to members of the SNS community and participants in the orientation courses. 

2. Adaptation of courtyards
To improve the quality of the outdoor areas available to members of the SNS community, projects are underway to improve the courtyards of Palazzo D'Ancona and of the San Silvestro Complex, with the aim of reducing the number of motorised vehicles parking there and making better use of the grassed leisure areas

3. Sustainable mobility
The SNS implemented, and continues to update, the  Home-Workplace Travel Plan (Piano Spostamenti Casa-Lavoro, PSCL) starting from 2022 for its Pisa site and from 2025 for the Florence sit. The Plan sets out a series of measures to promote more sustainable mobility choices within the SNS community (see the in-depth page).

4. Sanitary pad distributing machines
15 sanitary pad distributing machines are installed in the various SNS buildings. The sanitary pads, which are available free of charge, biodegrade within six months, are 100% plastic free, are manufactured with a 91% saving of water, and are produced using geothermal energy. With this intervention the SNS intends to contribute in a practical way to economic and environmental sustainability, besides encouraging inclusion and well-being, paying attention to the needs of all women who are members of its community and those who visit its sites, no matter how often.