Lead Organisation
Sustainability West Midlands
Project Team: Anna Bright, Dr Beck Collins and Nathaniel Weaver
Overview
SWM members University College Birmingham (UCB) commissioned SWM to review their current position with regard to sustainability across the university, and to set out a way forward to becoming more sustainable.
Aims
- To understand where the university had been successful in taking action towards sustainability, and also where it needed to make further progress.
- To engage staff and student stakeholders in the discussion.
- To provide a framework to take forward future sustainability activity.
Outputs
- A report was delivered that gave high level recommendations for the university to follow recommending the adoption of an ambitious, measurable target for emissions reduction by 2030 and the recruitment of a Sustainability Manager to drive forward sustainability action, beginning by carrying out quantified audits on energy, waste, transport, nature and reviews of procurement, investments, before setting targets for improvement. This would be followed by setting out plans for how these improvements will be made, and then monitoring progress.
- The report also recommended an academic-led review of the curriculum to embed sustainability into teaching, and wider activity across the university community to catalyse the creation of a sense of environmental citizenship, supported by extra-curricular activities.
- This report was supported by a detailed action plan setting out priority activities to be carried out across campus to reduce carbon emissions (for example specific energy efficiency improvements), to take steps towards embedding sustainability in the curriculum, and ideas for extra-curricular activities.
- SWM also supported UCB to explicitly celebrate the commencement of its sustainability journey through creating website content.
“It has been a real pleasure to work with SWM and will share our progress with you.”
José Lopes, Pro Vice-Chancellor (External Affairs)
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For further information on the project or to work with us in one of a variety of ways, please see our consultancy page or contact the SWM team on enquiries@swm.org.uk.
