2 minute read
Introduction
At Buckinghamshire New University, we’ve always taken our environmental responsibilities seriously, and have a proud track record of making a positive impact on the environment, and within our communities.
In 2019, we were delighted to be the first UK University to achieve a Gold award in a scheme which recognises sustainable and ethical organisations for their excellence in corporate social responsibility. The University’s activities were rigorously assessed across four areas: environment; philanthropy; community and workplace.
We continue to build on our achievements because we’ve listened and know that sustainability is as important to our students and stakeholders as it is to our people. That’s why we have redoubled our efforts in the fight against climate change.
On 14 February 2020, Buckinghamshire New University pledged to reduce our carbon footprint to net zero by 2030 - 20 years ahead of the Government’s target – and joined the Climate Commission Council as part of a Love Our Planet day across our campuses. We also made our commitment to join other universities to fight against climate change by signing up to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Accord, a collective response by education institutions to help the environment.
The University has recently produced its new strategy, Impact 2022, which expresses our passionate belief in corporate social responsibility and reaffirms our existing commitments to reduce our impact on the environment; increase sustainability in our operation and education; and address our challenges through building effective and strategic partnerships.
Impact 2022 sets new targets to meet the highest standards in relation to our environment, including energy, waste and travel. We will deliver against our mission as a civic University, engaging with communities across the county of Buckinghamshire and elsewhere. We will engage effectively with business, actively contributing to the local and national industrial strategies, and economic growth within the region. We will minimise the impact of our University estate on the environment. In July 2020, the University submitted its first report to the United Nations on our performance against each of their 17 SDGs. Although we are at an early stage of explicitly aligning the SDGs to our strategic work, I am very proud of all that our University community has already done to make a positive impact locally, nationally and globally.
We continue to make excellent progress against our strategic goals that align with the SDGs: among others, in meeting carbon reduction targets (SDG7); in ensuring our education works for all (SDG4); in making clean water available to more people (SDG6); in eliminating the attainment gap for disabled students, reducing the gap for BAME students, and in building higher levels of support for GRT students (SDG10); in increasing recycling rates, upcycling, reducing single-use plastics, and building sustainability into our education (SDG12); and in understanding changes in vegetation and the impact of climate on European island societies (SDG15).
We are committed to being transparent about our progress against the University’s strategic goals, and so I am delighted to share our submission to the United Nations in this publication.
Professor Nick Braisby Vice-Chancellor
