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Studies exploring campus greening in Romania and Bulgaria are limited. Overall, sustainability-related topics and actions are more theory-, rather than practice-oriented in both countries, being particularly addressed by universities dealing with Earth (e.g., geography, ecology) and technical sciences (e.g., environmental engineering). Using literature review and an on-line questionnaire survey, the paper aims to analyse in a comparative manner how campus greening initiatives are integrated into the universities of Romania and Bulgaria, which are the main gaps and needs in terms of campus greening initiatives as well as the similarities vs. differences in implementing campus greening initiatives in both countries, with a view to outline the national specificity. The main findings suggest that universities in both countries have made a significant progress to address sustainability aspects in theory, and practice. However, a delay may be noticed in terms of framing a whole institution approach to the sustainability concept, with more singular and disparate initiatives being identified. Although the level of awareness in terms of the need for and importance of carrying out greening activities in their universities is relatively high for the respondents in both countries, more initiatives have been identified by the respondents in Romania than by the ones in Bulgaria. The main measures and initiatives associated with greening actions at university level are related to green infrastructure and waste management, which mainly contributed to increasing the aesthetic aspect of campuses and to cost reduction. There is a general top-down approach in undertaking green campus initiatives, with less or little involvement on the side of teachers and students (especially in Bulgaria), and more importance being attributed to the management body. The results of the survey can have practical implications and can be used by the universities in both countries to better understand the campus greening concept and to use examples and suggestions provided by the involved stakeholders as best practices to further integrate or promote campus greening practices in universities. • Comparative analysis on how campus greening initiatives are integrated into the universities of Romania and Bulgaria. • The awareness level in terms of the importance of carrying out greening activities in universities is relatively high. • The main measures and initiatives at university level are related to green infrastructure and waste management. • A general top-down approach in undertaking green campus initiatives with a more importance role of the management body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The renewed interest in biomass-derived energy, which was the main source of heat and power until the industrial revolution and still contributes a significant portion to energy consumption in the developing world, is based on the premises that bioenergy can serve to reduce dependence on foreign energy supplies, boost and reduce the volatility of farmers’ incomes, develop a sustainable renewable energy basis, and cut greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Growing urgency to address these problems and the European Union''s global leadership role motivate the baseline assessment of the potential for sustainable bioenergy production in the most recent two EU member states (Bulgaria and Romania) and the former Soviet republics in Central Asia and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) by reviewing the literature and drawing on available data. The paper integrates the monitoring and assessment of ecological and environmental indicators with management practices, and shows that there is still a lack of knowledge and approaches at this nexus. The main factors to be considered by the countries included in our study are: the type of energy carrier, the transportation and production processes, as well as the long-term environmental impacts associated with intensive biomass production. Specifically, the baseline assessment is using typical indicators to describe bioenergy carriers and their production and consumption in thermal or mass units as well as in percentage shares of total renewable energy produced or consumed. Our findings indicate that the potential for developing sustainable bioenergy production is generally small but with considerable cross-country variation. Only Bulgaria, Romania, and Kazakhstan are endowed with the necessary natural, climatic, and economic conditions to develop sustainable biomass productions and markets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]