Last Thursday evening the University of Greenwich was recognised again for its leading work of putting sustainability at the heart of its operations, teaching and strategy. Building on the University topping the Green League, this Times Higher award further recognises the commitment, passion and action of all those people we would like to thank for getting us to where we are:
Our 50 committed and effective Champions are actively integrating sustainable behaviour change through their departments and throughout the University. So far 1,500 Green Impact Tasks have been undertaken and this is set to further increase, helping make sustainability improvements in a whole range of areas, including resource use, curriculum development and student engagement.
The Carbon Management Team, led by Nigel Heugh have helped reduce 22% of our carbon footprint since 2005 and we are expecting a 40% reduction by 2020. This has included investment in scores of energy efficiency projects, plus the installation of 200 solar panels and the planned installation of a ground breaking University of Greenwich innovation for its glycerol Combined Heat and Power system in Medway. Further collaborations with the ILS department have enabled 100% of the university’s PC’s to power down after use.
Pictured from left: Keith Jones, Nigel Heugh, Emily Mason, Mary McCartney, Debbie Bartlett, Peter Fotheringham, Kat Thorne, Amanda Hatton, Gerry Bildstein, Pat Harvey, Patrick Finch (one of the judges).
Staff throughout the institution have been essential to helping us deliver on our sustainability commitments and responsibilities and in achieving our covered leadership status. Without support from throughout the Facilities Management Team, Finance and Procurement, plus staff from departments ranging from EDU to Student Affairs, from Architecture to the Business School and the NRI to Health and Social Care; illustrating that sustainability is relevant and cuts across every department and school here in Greenwich.
We continue to work with the Students Union and students identifying and providing placements and support for applied research illustrating how sustainability is the thread that connects everything we do. We also continue to work actively with and are grateful for the support of the University’s management. Senior support and the integration of sustainability into the University’s strategy is vital to meeting the needs of the future. Our University is now in a great position to continue building on it strengths, to maintain its leadership in sustainability and helping deliver the learning a future sustainable planet requires.
Our expert, supportive and enabling sustainability team (Emily Mason, Alex Giles (plus our SUUG colleague Ana Lopez plus past staff Kat Thorne and John Bailey)) have been essential to the University’s sustainability successes. I’d like to thank them all and invite the University to continue to join us in our exciting plans to take our University through the rest of its sustainability journey.
Overall we have seen sustainability being welcomed as a way of motivating staff, providing meaning and helping meet the needs and values of staff and students. As the NUS HEA report on student attitudes towards, and skills for sustainability states; 80% of students expect sustainability to be included not just the operations of the University sector but also the curriculum. We are well on the way, yet there is still much more do to. The University of Greenwich will only remain a leader with its continued inspired innovation and committed actions to reduce our impacts and help research and teach to enable the sustainable innovations a successful future demands. We hope to help you in this inspiring journey.
Simon Goldsmith (the new) Head of Sustainability
