Greenlines Issue number 32, March 2013
The sustainability newsletter for the University
How would you invest £50,000? Staff and students are being called on to use their collective power to decide how the Switch Off Week savings should be spent. Last month people and teams in departments, colleges and other university institutions were inspired by Switch Off Week to turn off lights, computers and other equipment. In total, the equivalent of £5,000 was saved as part of the campaign. The Energy and Carbon Reduction Project (ECRP) has decided not only to reinvest the value of the electricity saved during Switch Off Week, but to
ISSN : 2048-2442 (Online)
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Switch Off Off Week Week online poll poll Switch From inside a Department Travel Plan Travel Plan Campus Sustainability 2013 International collaboration on sustainability Upcoming events Upcoming events Climate Forum Climate Forum 2013 Living Laboratory and the Library Living Laboratory and the Library
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multiply the figure by ten, which means that £50,000 will be spent on rolling out a specific energy saving measure.
policy by the University. They are also expected to deliver cost effective energy savings in a short time scale.
A shortlist of energy saving measures has been compiled by the Energy Team from suggestions that came in as part of a Switch Off Week ideas competition. There were many high calibre proposals, but some would require further investigation and may instead be considered as research projects under the Living Laboratory.
The best ideas have now been put to an online vote to see which proposal University members want to invest the capital into. The energy-saving proposal which most captures the interest of staff and students will have £50,000 of central University funding spent on implementation across the Estate.
The shortlisted suggestions are all practical and can be implemented without requiring any major change of
Please cast your vote and decide which idea you would like the University to spend £50,000 on! Installation of more LED lights. For many applications, LED is now the most efficient form of lighting and it can be cost effective to replace spot lighting with new LED lamps. LED lighting can also be used for general illumination in offices and labs but good quality units are still quite expensive, so they have not yet been rolled out widely across the University. Installation of movement sensors that will automatically turn off lights when there is no one in the room. A large amount of lighting within University buildings is already controlled by sensors which detect either movement or daylight levels. More of these controls are added every year, but a vote for this suggestion will help to accelerate the programme.
West Cambridge Photo credit: Sir Cam
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Greenlines Issue number 32, March 2013 Page 2 Putting up curtains or blinds, particularly in older buildings, to retain heat when they are not in use overnight and at weekends. This is a very simple idea which has not yet been part of the University’s energy conservation programme as it would rely on building occupants to draw them every day. Where people are prepared to take small energy-saving actions at the end of the day to draw the curtains or blinds then these could be a very costeffective and low carbon way of helping
to keep people warm during the winter. Live-time displays of energy use in a particular building to make staff aware of how much energy is being used in their workplace. The first step towards saving energy is knowing how much is being used and where. This option sounds like a suitably sophisticated and 21st century way of reminding people about the importance of not wasting energy but would everyone take notice, particularly after it
has been in place for some time? If you think it would help, then vote for this idea! Voting is now open and will close on 26th April 2013. To cast your ballot and have a say in how your University invests in its energy future visit: www.admin.cam. ac.uk/carbon/getting_involved/sowcompetitions.html Please note the competition is only open to University of Cambridge staff and students.
From inside a Department – CUSU Ethical Affairs Former CUSU Ethical Affairs co-chair, Harrison Bowers, popped in to speak to Greenlines before leaving office about one of their many achievements this year. The Cambridge University Student Union Ethical Affairs team (CUSU EA) campaigns on issues of social and environmental sustainability. We aim to promote awareness of environmental and ethical issues among the students – to coordinate, represent and empower them to act. We spent so much time focusing on students and the university that we hadn’t really looked at ourselves: were we practising what we preached?
In comes Green Impact: a fun and thorough environmental accreditation programme. It consists of a workbook, in our case specifically tailored to student unions, with a series of increasingly challenging criteria to meet. We thought we’d start off slowly and go for the Bronze specification. However, on progressing through the workbook, we became inspired to go for Gold – the easy way of doing simple and tangible actions really inspired us to go that one step further. We completed our workbook, and made the associated changes throughout the union. And it did make a difference. Working through the workbook made us do
things that we would have liked to do at some point but never really had the time to really focus on. We got a carbon audit; replaced our paper cups with reusable mugs; implemented several schemes ranging from shut-down procedures to being a university wide scrap paper collection point. We were a bit nervous come audit day, implementing last minute changes and making sure everything we said we’d get done had been done. However, Joanna, our auditor from National Union of Students, made the process really relaxing and it felt quite natural, going around and showing all the changes we’d employed. Come results day, we were ecstatic to receive the Gold Award. We received twice the average number of points in other unions, from a wide range of criteria including procurement, electricity, waste, policy and communication. We’re really looking forward to doing even better next year, and participating in the Green Impact Excellence scheme. We’ve received a sum of money to help improve the biodiversity around Cambridge and are drawing up an action plan, so if you’ve got any ideas please don’t hesitate to contact us on ethical-chair@cusu.cam.ac.uk!
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Greenlines Issue number 32, March 2013 Page 3
Travel Plan benefits A travel plan is a package of measures aimed at promoting sustainable travel within an organisation, with an emphasis on reducing reliance on solo car travel. The University of Cambridge Travel Plan includes green travel measures that can also provide cost savings and health benefits. Of course there are a number of people who are unable to take advantage of these measures (for example due to shift work, family or other commitments, illness or disability, or distance and a lack of public transport options from home) but the University is keen to strengthen existing systems and continue to support as many employees as possible in increasing the sustainability of the University’s travel patterns. Greenlines spoke to Catrin Darsley, the Environmental Coordinator for the University, about what it offers. Why aim to reduce single-occupancy car travel? As a University, Cambridge has a significant potential impact on the local road networks and travel infrastructure from staff and visitors. There is limited city centre car parking, so from a practical perspective it makes sense to reduce the demand for parking spaces – and to provide alternatives. Cars contribute to poor air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, congestion on key routes and in the city centre, and often cost more to commute with than the alternatives when all factors are taken into account. Travel to work loans If you are employed by the University for three months or more you can apply for an interest-free travel to work loan up to your monthly net pay (or a maximum of £2,500, whichever is the lower). The loan is for the purchase of an annual bus
or rail season ticket at standard class travel, or to assist with the purchase of a bicycle and associated safety equipment. www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/staff/ benefits/travel.html Buses Stagecoach now offer a range of products through their website, with discounts available for longer-duration tickets (and the StagecoachSmart quickswipe card). More information is on their website: www.bit.ly/11kEllF Information on the Busway – Cambridge’s new guided bus offering services between Huntingdon, St Ives and Cambridge – is available on the official website: www.thebusway.info. A number of staff already make use of the cycle paths running alongside the Busway. Car club – Zipcar Departments, student societies and individual staff are entitled to discounted rates with the Zipcar scheme for the University (www.zipcar.co.uk/
cambridgeuni). If you need a car or van during the day, maybe this could be used in place of a personal vehicle. Car sharing Cambridge is a member of the CamShare car sharing network (https:// camshare.liftshare.com/). The website helps staff to: •
Find drivers, passengers and cyclists online instantly for free
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Share and therefore reduce their costs from fuel and parking
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Cut congestion and pollution
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Reduce the stress of driving
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Access a variety of information on travel and public transport.
Ask Facilities Management (facman@ admin.cam.ac.uk) about car sharer-only spaces near you. The website also supports the BikeBUDi scheme (https://camshare.liftshare. com/bikebudi.asp) for those interested in finding cycling partners for their commute.
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Greenlines Issue number 32, March 2013 Page 4 Cycling Regular cycling can help you lose weight, reduce stress and improve your fitness. Cambridge is lucky: with its geography and advanced bicycle infrastructure more than 40% of its staff already commute by bike. British Cycling have debunked some of the myths around cycling to work here: www.bit.ly/RFKiHu – have a look and see what excuses you might be able to reconsider. The University runs a Cycle to Work scheme. This allows staff to purchase bicycles and associated safety equipment on a tax-free basis through a salary sacrifice scheme. For further information see: www.admin.cam. ac.uk/offices/hr/staff/benefits/cycle/ . Park & Ride, and Park & Cycle There are 5 Park & Ride sites around
the city (Milton; Newmarket Road; Babraham Road; Trumpington; and Madingley Road), with more information available at www.bit. ly/14a2UGa. The Park and Cycle facility (www.bit. ly/WNrDgq) is located at the West Cambridge Site, off Clerk Maxwell Road, and is open to all city centre-based staff. Train discounts A 10% discount rate on the purchase of train season tickets and bulk buy tickets is available for staff. Full details and restrictions: www.admin.cam.ac.uk/ offices/em/travel/train/index.html Walking Walking is a free, easy, accessible, low impact way of getting active which has fewer barriers to participation than other forms of physical activity. How
could you increase the amount of even gentle exercise that you take each day? Uni4 bus Staff and students can use their University Card to pay a discounted rate of 70p per single journey on the Uni4 bus, running between the Madingley Road Park & Ride / West Cambridge site and Addenbrooke’s Hospital. The buses run at a 20-minute service frequency. The University’s Travel Plan is being reviewed later in 2013. If you’re interested in taking part in focus groups to join the discussion, please email travel@admin.cam.ac.uk and state your usual method of travelling to work (such as car, carshare, bike, bus, or a combination).
Amount of space required to transport the same number of passengers by car, bus or bicycle (Photo originally by City of Münster press office, Germany)
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Greenlines Issue number 32, March 2013 Page 5
International collaboration on sustainability
Upcoming Events Retrofit competition
Representatives from ten of the world’s top research universities were welcomed to Cambridge for three days in March for the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) 2013 Campus Sustainability Meeting. IARU was launched in 2006 and consists of the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford; the Australian National University; the University of California, Berkeley; Yale University; Peking University; National University of Singapore; the University of Tokyo; the University of Copenhagen; and ETH Zurich. Every year, heads from estate management and environmental sections in each institute meet to collaborate on and share their visions for sustainability in higher education. Campus sustainability is an essential part of a ‘Grand Challenge’ identified by these universities. The pursuit of academic excellence has, for example, increased demand for international travel and ‘the best’ buildings and equipment. However, without careful consideration, all of these items come at a heavy environmental cost. Cambridge, with its energy intensive supercomputers, fuel hungry jet engines and large number of environmentallycontrolled facilities, is very aware of this issue. IARU has supported collaboration and cross-cultural exchanges in promoting best practice in campus sustainability. Projects to emerge have included ones to measure and address the common environmental impacts of university activities, for example those related to accommodation services, commuter
Students- apply with your team to the Sustainable Retrofit Challenge 2013, with a chance to win £1000 in cash prizes! Visit http://bit.ly/ ZbN0TS. Closing date 15th April.
Green Impact surgeries
transport, air travel, renovation and retrofit of existing buildings, new construction and grounds maintenance. Following on from the 2013 meeting, the IARU Sustainability Group is developing recommendations and examples of good practice in their top ten areas of campus sustainability. These will be shared with other universities for them to learn from. As part of the Campus Sustainability Initiative, IARU has a Sustainability Fellowship Programme. This programme allows a small number of students from IARU member institutions to work on environmental management projects in the campus sustainability departments of other members. These projects are practical and handson and have in many cases created examples for other non-member universities to emulate. All Cambridge University students can apply for these fellowships, with application details to be announced shortly. This year’s two Cambridge Fellows will be working with the National University of Singapore and Yale University. For more information on these internships please contact living.laboratory@admin.cam.ac.uk.
11th April - 14.00-15.00 and 22nd April - 13.30-14.30 teams from across the University will meet to discuss their progress and gain ideas, support and encouragement from fellow teams.
Green Impact workbook submissions Breathe a sigh of relief as you hit submit on your online workbook on 25th April.
Green Impact Audits Showcase all your good work on 8th May when trained student auditors visit your department. If you are a student who wishes to become a Green Impact auditor, please contact greenimpact@ admin.cam.ac.uk.
Living Laboratory Internships The Living Lab will be offering two internships this summer to work in the Environmental and Energy Section and look at the sustainability of the Estate. More details about these internships will be released before the end of the month. Please contact living. laboratory@admin.cam.ac.uk for more details.
Green Impact Award ceremony Time to celebrate all your achievements at the award ceremony on 13th June.
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Greenlines Issue number 32, March 2013 Page 6
Climate Forum 2013 Greenlines caught up with the organisers of March’s Climate Forum to ask them about how the event went and the lasting impact it had. Climate Change has been a buzzword in recent years, discussed by politicians, businesses, the media and the masses. But while some people are still debating the science and pointing fingers, we know there is an urgent need to get some action going. Despite acknowledging that, there are many out there who often feel that there is no point in taking individual action to reduce our carbon footprint, as it will not make a difference on a global level. This year’s Cambridge Climate and Sustainability Forum theme was “Local Action. Global Change?” and aimed to discuss the issues surrounding climate
action on various levels. Throughout the day on 15 March 2013, speakers from Cambridge University, Anglia Ruskin University, local, national and international organisations shared their thoughts on climate action and what they have been doing to tackle climate change and encourage others to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Organised by a student committee, the Forum programme covered a broad range of issues, from technological breakthroughs to behavioural changes, political campaigns to sustainability businesses. In particular, the engaging and fast-paced Pecha Kucha presentation style on the work of various organisations was very well received by participants. Apart from showcasing work done by these organisations, the presentations also provided participants with ideas on how they can contribute and take action immediately!
The Forum was a great success leaving most of the participants feeling inspired to become more engaged; 8 out of 10 conference attendees who provided feedback said they planned to take action after the conference. There is certainly a growing crowd of people concerned for our environment and our future, and with increased involvement, the University of Cambridge can establish itself as a hub for sustainable living, teaching and learning. If you want to find out more, go to the website or Facebook page. The Climate and Sustainability Forum will be continued next year and the current committee are looking for new recruits; to get involved please contact ccf.coordinator@gmail. com. Finally, if you’re looking for more inspiration about how to take action yourself, click here for a few more pointers!
Living Laboratory and the University Library The Living Laboratory for Sustainability is an opportunity for students to be involved in projects focused on increasing the sustainability of the University of Cambridge Estate. The ‘Living Lab’ has the goal of improving the sustainability of the University by using the Estate to test and research real world environmental problems while enhancing the educational experience of students attending the University. One of the latest projects to come out of the Living Lab is the University Library project. The Energy and Carbon Reduction Project (ECRP) has identified the University Library as one of a small set of buildings on the University Estate that has priority as a target for energy and carbon reduction measures, due to the percentage of the University’s energy and carbon footprints represented by the building.
In order to investigate part of the energy and carbon footprint of the University Library, Professor Doug CrawfordBrown led a team of students in the completion of a study of cost-effective measures to improve the thermal energy performance of the building envelope. To complete this report, students carried out an occupancy analysis, a preliminary electricity metering analysis and a thermal imaging analysis that revealed points of significant heat loss throughout the building. The focus of the report is on potential improvements in the U-values (a measure of heat loss) of walls, windows, doors and roof of the University Library, within the constraints of maintaining desired interior temperatures, humidity and air flow. The report’s proposals were presented to the ECRP team and are being considered for implementation. The top solutions
that were most feasible with the highest return on investment are insulation for radiators, insulation in walls around heating pipes, secondary glazing and improved lagging. This project will continue with the students carrying out an electricity survey of lights and plug load in the building to develop more energy and carbon reduction strategies. Photo credit: Sir Cam
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