Green Impact Audits 2013

Two weeks ago 18 University Schools and Departments took part in a ‘half time’ audit as part of the Green Impact Scheme.

Green Impact challenges departments to enact a number of criteria that promote sustainable behaviours that contribute to the reduction of our environmental impact as a University. Green Impact works from a ‘bottom up’ approach asking staff through a series of criteria to make changes in their workplace. It is this criteria that each department is audited against and from these audits each team received a feedback report, which set them goals to achieve before the final deadline this summer.

The audits were carried out by student volunteers that received IEMA accredited training from the NUS’ Sophia Perkins who is the University’s Green Impact Project Officer. After their training the students got practice what they had learnt by auditing Schools and Departments across the three campuses.

Student Volunteers taking part in the Green Impact Auditor Training Session

Over the course of three days 23 students completed the training and practical auditing experience and will all receive certification of their achievements.

From the staff that were audited the praise for the students was great with comments on their professionalism, eye for detail and encouraging and supportive manner.

It is important that the audits are carried out by students to give both staff and students a chance to sit down and talk about sustainability at their University, as well as offering students a chance to receive training in highly transferable skills that they pick during the process.

A sustainable menu for lunch was laid on by BaxtorStorey for the auditors at each campus. The menu incorporated local produce, fairtrade produce, less meat, MSC fish and reusable crockery.

The audits themselves were very successful and the Sustainability Team would like to thank all the Sustainability Champions that have taken part so far. At the time of the ‘half time’ audits the Schools and Departments of Greenwich had completed 489 sustainable actions. Congratulations!

To find out more about Green Impact at Greenwich please contact Emily Mason at e.mason@gre.ac.uk.

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