www.le.ac.uk/environment

Leicester Award for Employability: Sustainability – Workshop 2

Dr Emma FieldhouseEnvironmental Manager

Environment Team, Estates & Facilities Management Division

Overview of today – before lunch

• What is a Sustainable University?

• Corporate Social Responsibility

• Biodiversity Management at UoL

• Waste Management at UoL

Overview of today after lunch

• Carbon & Energy

• Travel, Sustainable Procurement & Green Buildings problem-solving

• Behaviour Change & Communications (including Green Impact)

• Blogging tools

• Evaluation of today

Learning objectives for today

• To share ideas about sustainability in the context of a University

• To explore sustainability issues including biodiversity, waste, carbon, travel, procurement, behaviour change, green buildings

• To explore the employability aspects of volunteering with the team and volunteering opportunities

Assignment 1

To complete 5 x 100 word blogs about volunteering experiences, how they link to the conceptual elements of sustainability and what skills have been picked up

New timeline to fit with volunteering – first two blogs before end of December – other blogs before end of Easter

Assignment 2

To complete a report about the auditing process (2000 – 3000 words).

The report could focus upon either waste auditing, Green Impact scheme auditing or both

What is an Environmental Audit?

• Various types of evaluation to ensure:– Compliance with legal standards– Compliance with internal policies or

management systems

• Both the current waste audit and Green Impact audits are examples of compliance with internal management systems

Assignment 3

To produce a 5 – 10 minute interview-style presentation that promotes the Leicester Award for Sustainability

Date confirmed as Saturday 19th May 2012

What is a Sustainable University?

An overview of what we do• Energy• Waste• Water• Biodiversity/Land

management• Building/

Construction & Renovation

• Transport• Procurement• Corporate Social

Responsibility

• Legal Compliance• Policy• Communication

• Working towards Environmental Management Systems

How to prioritise what we do?

• A risk assessment of an organisation that has no history of environmental management will dictate you approach the following issues first:– Legal compliance issues e.g. waste,

energy– Areas for greatest potential business

benefit e.g. cost savings through energy efficiency

– Areas requiring least management to change

– Areas for greatest reputational benefit

What is Corporate Social Responsibility?

Other things we could cover

• Environmental Sustainability Strategy

• Green League Table of universities

• Other reporting mechanisms UtC/LiFE

• Teaching/Learning

• Research

• Water

• Ethical Investment

• Environmental Management Systems

www.le.ac.uk/environment

Biodiversity

In the context of the University of Leicester

The University owns and manages over 300 acres of land. This includes the

Botanic Gardens and a Local Wildlife Site – Blackthorn Manor. There are 9,000 trees

and a number of protected or rare species to be found on University grounds.

Our commitment

• Undertake habitat and species surveys to ascertain the University’s biodiversity

• Create and implement a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP)

• Mitigate for disturbance to habitats or species from delivery of Development Plans

• Engage as appropriate with University stakeholders to raise awareness of biodiversity issues

How?

• Phase 1 habitat surveys

• Surveys of protected species (bat roosts and feeding territories, newts

• Habitat creation through Sustainable Urban Drainage Schemes (SuDs)/green roofs/walls/bat or bird boxes or other means

• Stakeholders– Development of teaching, learning, research and volunteering opportunities– Interpretation and ‘point of use’ information on species and habitats– Agreed grounds management practices with contractors that conserve and

enhance biodiversity– Partnerships with environmental groups and local authorities sharing

knowledge and resources– Encouraging appropriate groups and individuals to consider the impacts on

biodiversity in relation to purchasing, investments and developments

Why?

• Compliance with all relevant nature conservation legislation – Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981) as

amended– NERC Act (2006)– Conservation of Habitat & Species

Regulations (2010)

• Because ‘protecting natural habitats and encouraging local wildlife’ (Environmental Sustainability Policy, 2010) matters…

Where you come in…• Volunteering Opportunities:

– University of Leicester• Winter/Summer Bird surveys• ‘Bioblitz’ – including plants, fungi, bats, birds, invertebrates

etc.• Practical conservation

– Pond maintenance– Scrub clearance

– Elsewhere• Groundwork

– Volunteer opportunities on Tuesdays and Thursdays» http://www.eastmidlands.groundwork.org.uk/leicester--

leicestershire/jobs--volunteering/consevation-volunteers.aspx

• BTCV– Volunteer opportunities on Wednesdays and Thursdays

» http://www2.btcv.org.uk/display/btcv_leicesterandrutland

Waste Management

Waste Management – Task for pairs• In pairs you will be given one piece of

waste legislation to research and one problem to solve. Take 30 mins to gather information about both.

• Return to the group and we will take 15 mins to share what you have found.

Waste Legislation

• Landfill tax (1996) – established market forces to discourage landfill

• Environmental Protection Act 1990 – set up Environment Agency duties and defined ‘duty of care’

• ‘Duty of Care’ Regulations 1991- specifically in relation to waste handling, storage and disposal

Waste Legislation

• Battery Directive (2006) – regulates manufacture and disposal

• Hazardous Waste Directive - control substances that have potential harmful health effects

• Landfill Directive (2007) ‘pre-treatment’ of landfill waste

Waste Hierarchy

What has Leicester achieved?In 2007 the University recycling rate was less than 10%

In 2011 we are now recycling over 80% of our waste from both academic and residential sites

We could fill the Attenborough Tower twice every year with the waste the University currently produces

How did we do this?

• Changed bin system from bins emptied at desks to staff and students taking waste to recycling points across the university – installed oevr 3,000 new bins (recycled old bins)

• New waste contract started in January 2011 with local firm Wastecycle

• Able to provide far better data on waste for all of our sites – pay-by-weight system

Waste Auditing

• Knowing how your systems are working allows you to focus your management on areas of weakness

• Auditing shows you where the weaknesses are in the system

• The waste auditing we undertake shows us how successful the recycling points are

• We can also compare the results in and out of term time

Employability skills

• Auditing is a key part of any structured approach to environmental management

• All Environmental Management Systems demand an aspect of auditing to prove that the systems are working

• Audit = Evaluation

LUNCHTIME

Carbon & Energy

Carbon & Energy

• What are the carbon impacts of the University?

• Group brainstorm on carbon footprint of Leicester

Carbon Footprint of the University

• Which of the items on your lists MUST be included when calculating the carbon footprint of the University

• Justify the inclusion and exclusion of different items – why should ‘x’ be included and ‘y’ be excluded?

• You must be able to justify your choices

• You have 20 minutes to discuss this

Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions

Carbon Footprint - 31,167 tonnes

What must we cover in our carbon footprint?

• Only Scope 1 (Direct) and Scope 2 (Indirect – electricity use) emissions are regulated and make up the University’s ‘legal’ footprint

• The Higher Education Council for England (HEFCE) - our funding body - are currently exploring which elements of Scope 3 emissions they will require us to start reporting data for

• Some HEIs already capture some of the data

Who can remember the piece of legislation from last week that dictates what carbon emissions reductions we should make?

Climate Change Legislation

• UK Climate Change Act (2008) was a world-leading piece of legislation

• 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050 (originally 60% but pushed up to 80% by campaigners and a recommendation from Climate Change Committee)

• CRC – Carbon Reduction Commitment• Tax of the largest producers of carbon in the

country – the University of Leicester is on the list (there are 2,100 organisations on the list)

What’s the target? And what are we currently doing about carbon? • Leicester need to make an absolute cut in

carbon of 60% by 2020 (against 2004/5) to slightly over-achieve on the Climate Change Act requirements

• Spent £1 Million HEFCE/Salix Revolving Green Fund on energy efficiency improvements

• Installation of the Combined Heat & Power system (to produce between 10 – 15% reduction in footprint)

Salix – Revolving Green Fund

• Salix is a not-for-profit investment company

• Salix invests money in carbon and energy saving projects in public-sector bodies

• The Revolving Green Fund recycles the savings from one project to go into the next

• More details on the Salix Revolving Green Fund at Leicester are given in the case study

What are we currently doing about carbon?

• New Carbon & Energy Officer staring in December

• Renewal of the Carbon Management Plan (the existing plan finishes in 2012)

• The new strategy and plan will include many more elements and will demonstrate how we will achieve the 60% reduction by 2020

A different take on climate change…

Employability & Carbon

• Current perceived shortage of carbon literate people

• If you understand carbon impacts and can demonstrate these at interview then you are a lot further ahead than many!

• For Green Impact, using metered energy data to educate staff and students would be a big learning opportunity

Employability & Carbon

• Undertaking a basic energy audit to find opportunities to switch off or turn down in Green Impact Departments

• Creating switch-off events

• Creating switch-off protocols for Departments i.e. who switches what off as they leave at night

• Vacation shut-down plan (part of Green Impact)

The best video about climate change• It’s even better than the polar bears!

The Clean Version

Group Exercise

• Travel

• Sustainable Procurement

• Green Buildings

Create an action plan for your area by answering these questions

• Who is the main audience that need to be engaged with over this issue (in the university context)?

• If there are other audiences that need to be involved then list them too in order of importance

• For each audience, specify a message you wish to convey to them and how you would deliver it

• What is the main sustainability issue and what would be the aim of any improvement plan?

• Imagine you are starting to deal with this sustainability issue for the first time. Imagine you have unlimited resources and describe what you would do in the first 12 months to start to tackle the problems. (Break this down on a month by month basis)

• Also consider how this ‘issue’ links with the following areas: teaching/learning, research, employability skills for students, the wider community

• You have 40 minutes to complete this task

Behaviour Change & Communications

How do we change behaviours?

• People have to want to change which immediately discounts up to 20% of the university audience

– A ttention– I ntent– D esire– A tion

How do we change behaviours?

Awareness-Raisin

g

Engageme

nt

Behaviour Chan

ge

Behaviour change

• Events are only likely to have short-term savings but these can be significant and last for several months after the event

• Events need to be just one part of behaviour change campaigns

Big Green Week Savings

The Cost of Electricity in 2006, 2007 and 2008

90,000

95,000

100,000

105,000

110,000

115,000

120,000

125,000

130,000

Co

st o

f E

lect

rici

ty (

£)

2006

2007

2008

Behaviour change

• Behaviour change projects are more successful if:– They are sustained, focused, have

simple messages that audiences can easily engage with and audiences are involved in the development of the project

– You don’t just put posters up– Know your audience – students like

competitions so…

Student Switch Off (SSO) – what is it?• SSO is a campaign that aims to encourage

students to save energy when living in UK University halls of residence

• Competition to see which halls can reduce their energy usage by the greatest amount

• Incentives for energy-efficient behaviour at individual and communal level

• Builds on existing social relationships, peer-to-peer communications, rivalries and communities and is mainly social media based

Student Switch-Off – successes so far • 41 out of 89 universities in England signed

up

• Average of 6.9% electricity reduction last year (2010/11)

• 1522 tonnes of CO2 saved 2010/11

• £906,000 saved in energy expenditure since the programme began in 2006

• In 2011/12 there are 15,860 Eco-Power Rangers pledging to save energy

Eco-Power Rangers

www.le.ac.uk/environment

www.le.ac.uk/environment

An introduction to Green Impact

Ellen Holmesejh43@le.ac.uk(0116) 252 2849

Green Impact Overview

• Run by the NUS and the EAUC

• Over 620 Green Impact teams in 2010/2011

• 43 institutions signed up for 2011/2012

Green Impact at the University of Leicester

• Signed up in 2009

- 2009/2010 – 17 teams

- 2010/2011 – 16 teams

Green Impact at the University of Leicester

What does Green Impact involve?

• Workbook

– Waste and Recycling– Energy and Carbon– Sustainable procurement– Sustainable transport– Communicating sustainability

What does Green Impact involve?

• Timeline

– November – Launch workbook– November-February – Complete

workbook– March – Auditing– May – Award Ceremony

What does Green Impact involve?

• Awards– Bronze – 18 criteria– Silver – 15 criteria– Gold – bonus criteria

Why get involved?

• Staff

Rewards and recognition for actions

More power to make a difference

Fosters community spirit

Interdepartmental cooperation

Why get involved?

• Students

Increase employability skills

Professional experience

Have a voice in your department

Meet other staff and students

Other Communications Opportunities

Go Green Week 2012

• Takes place from the 6th - 11th February 2012

• The University wishes to take part but wants the week to be student-led

• A small budget is available but many things could be organised for little or no cost…

• Over to you… what things could you feasibly organise in the time? Do you want to get involved?

• http://peopleandplanet.org/gogreenweek

Fairtrade Fortnight

• Runs from 27th February – 11th March 2012

• As a Fairtrade University we have to take part in this event every year

• Past events have run fairtrade tasting sessions, films showings, tea parties, fairtrade football

• Do you want to help coordinate some activities for Fairtrade Fortnight?

Volunteering Training Opportunities• Optional Green Impact Scheme Training:

– Wednesday 30th November 2 – 5pm

• Optional Communication Training:– Wednesday 25th January 2012 2 –

5pm

• Optional Green Impact Auditing Training: – Dates TBC March/April 2012

Evaluation of today

• Please give some evaluation on today’s session…

• What was good about today?

• What was bad about today?

• What would you like to see next time?

www.le.ac.uk/environment

Thank you for your contributions today

Email ejf13@le.ac.uk with any further queries throughout the programme