How eco-friendly are we really? 26

While the green spaces, hedgehog friendly campuses, and green roofs are all great eco-friendly initiatives, there are a plethora of insufficiently acknowledged factors which need to be considered more carefully if the university wants to still be seen as environmentally friendly in a few years’ time.

The university was ranked 53rd in regards to sustainability by PeopleandPlanet - the largest student network in the UK campaigning for social and environmental justice. According to the network, sustainability, staff education, and energy sources are strengths when it comes to our sustainability efforts - with scores of 75, 97 and 80% awarded in each area. However, there are holes in the university’s strategies which are in dire need of attention.

The university was awarded less than 50% for water reduction; carbon reduction; waste & recycling; sustainable food; workers’ rights; carbon management; and environmental policy - with environmental policy achieving 0%.

Further to the university’s poor scores from PeopleandPlanet, Forster shared her dismay about the university’s response to sustainability on campus. “Through COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, the [SU]’s number one priority has been looking after the students, and so sustainability has been put on the backburner. Sustainability is something that we need to look into improving, but it’s difficult when there are such big priorities and little resources provided.”

“Sustainability is on the university’s strategic plan. But the only thing that they’re doing is recording how much carbon they’re emitting and hoping that the numbers will go down.” Despite the university’s substantial green space, there is plenty of work to be done if the university wants to be seen as genuinely sustainable. In the meantime though, we can enjoy our status as hedgehog friendly! When Impact contacted the University of Nottingham for comment, Andy Nolan, Director of Development and Sustainability at the University of Nottingham responded:

“Sustainability informs every aspect of life and work on our campuses. The university has set ambitious, science-based carbon reduction targets: by 2030 to reduce our emissions by 63%, with an aspiration of net zero by 2040 and absolute zero by 2050.”

Nolan then stated that numerous solutions are in development to reduce the institution’s demand for energy and plans to generate more of their own power - these plans include “focusing on our supply chains for food, paper, travel, construction materials, IT and lab equipment which together account for around 50% of our total annual scope 3 carbon emissions.”

He further shared objectives to change travel policies, and to reduce food and water waste on campus. These objectives hope to reduce the carbon footprint of the University and implement meaningful changes in staff and students’ day-today activities.

Nolan concluded that: “The greatest challenge of our time remains simply enormous; however, we are determined to make our contribution and to work with our partners to meet this challenge head-on.”

By Daniel Conmey

How students can support sustainability on campus

Sign up to Green Rewards and earn prizes for activities that lower your carbon footprint. Over 10,000 people have already saved almost a million kg of CO2 to date.

Use the 53 water refill points across our campuses to reduce the need for bottled water. This summer, two water fountains at David Ross Sports Village saved the equivalent of 26,000 bottles.

Take part in the annual energy saving competition for halls of residence - Go! Switch Off Halls Competition - where the hall that saves the most energy each term will win a prize.