The Role of Green Libraries in Promoting SDG 12

Abstract

The role of green libraries in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 is examined in this article, aiming at Responsible Consumption and Production and considering how libraries can mitigate ecological footprints, promote sustainability, and change human behaviour. The paper sets the intersectional relationship between library science and environment into consideration, as it positions libraries not simply as centres of knowledge but also as promoters for sustainable resource management and community awareness. The study adopted a descriptive-exploratory research design with a mixed-methods approach. Primary data collection was put to use in surveys, semi-structured interviews with library professionals, and observations in a set of select academic and public libraries in India. Secondary data extracted from policy documents, institutional reports, and international case studies were analyzed. The methodology then culminated in the assessment of four dimensions: (i) eco-friendly infrastructure and energy-efficient design, (ii) waste reduction and digital resource optimization, (iii) green ICT and sustainable procurement policies, and (iv) awareness programs on environmental responsibility. The barriers to environmental sustainability in the library are multiple and complex. Green libraries contribute to sustainable consumption by minimizing paper waste through the efficient use of digital resources, by constructing energy-efficient buildings, and while following green procurement. Such practices therefore remain patchy across all institutions due to budget constraints, lack of awareness, and, most importantly, the absence of formal policy guidelines. Libraries, which run extended awareness programs about sustainable consumption with their users, are strongly aligned with SDG 12, given that they generate behavioural change among students, researchers, and the community at large. The successful practices identified in this report include solar-powered buildings, recycling schemes, and selected environmental literacy collections that can be, in some guise, replicated elsewhere. This study proposes and applies a Library SDG 12 Performance Framework and Index (L-SDG12) that translates green library practices into measurable sustainability indicators. The research moves beyond descriptive accounts by offering a structured method to evaluate how libraries contribute to Responsible Consumption and Production in the Indian context.