5 minute read
GOING GREEN
Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time. As momentum around the globe builds, how is the Royal College of Music rising to the challenge?
How many musicians does it take to change a light bulb? Well, over the past five years more than 1,000 bulbs have been replaced with energy-efficient LEDs across the College campus. Not only do they use less energy, they also last much longer and can be recycled at the end of their life. This is just one of a number of initiatives to minimise the College’s impact on the environment that Director of Estates Aida Berhamovic has been championing since arriving at the RCM three years ago.
‘Replacing the historical infrastructure in a building like ours is time consuming and challenging, but through a process of phased improvements we’ve made some significant steps forward’, Aida comments. ‘In 2018 we were awarded a “B” rating on the DEC framework, which is such an achievement and demonstrates how successful our programme has been. It’s amazing how even the smallest of actions, for example turning the lights off when you leave a room or your computer at the end of the day, can have such a big impact when we all do them.’
The focus over the past few years has been transforming the Prince Consort Road campus with a multi-million-pound More Music: Reimagining the Royal College of Music Campaign building development. It will offer students and visitors a series of vibrant new communal and performances spaces alongside an interactive museum for our internationally significant collections.
‘We’re really proud to be have been awarded a BREEAM rating of “Very Good” for the redevelopment’, comments Aida. ‘This is the world’s longest established method for assessing and rating the sustainability of buildings and it evaluates how efficient the building is in terms of energy and water use as well as health and wellbeing. Given that we will have nearly doubled the size of our campus as a result of these works, it’s more important than ever to ensure our buildings are working as effectively and efficiently as they can.’
One of the aspects of the new spaces that Aida is particularly excited about is the new Atrium and the Courtyard. ‘The whole area will be flooded with light. Given that we spend so much of our time indoors, being able to offer our students, staff and visitors a peaceful outdoor space to enjoy in the middle of bustling South Kensington will, I hope, offer them a real sense of wellbeing.’
Aida Berhamovic, Director of Estates
Darren Chadwick, the RCM’s consultant from Brite Green Sustainable Strategy, added: ‘Sustainability was a key consideration during the construction project. Working closely with the contractor Gilbert-Ash, we were able to deliver some great initiatives. We reused crushed bricks from the demolished building in the new foundations, reducing our waste significantly. We also managed the impact of noise from the construction really closely and used industry-leading techniques to keep the College open throughout the construction process. The completion of the works heralds a new chapter for the College, and we have set some challenging targets to reduce our carbon emissions.’
To make a real impact on the environment there has to be a cultural shift in an organisation and according to Aida this is now happening. ‘Since I’ve been working here, I’ve noticed a real change in staff and student attitudes, particularly among the student body. It’s an issue they feel incredibly strongly about and we are always keen to hear and support their initiatives.’
One such initiative being spearheaded by RCMSU President Joel Wilson is Green Week, which runs 16–20 March. ‘This year’s theme is the small things you can do, on a day-today basis’, comments Joel. As Upbeat went to press, plans included park walks, the creation of an allotment at Prince Consort Village (the RCM’s halls of residence), a Veggie Week at the RCM Café and a concert on Friday 20 March to raise funds for the Australia bushfires relief efforts. Joel said ‘environmental issues are really important to students, and I hope we can use Green Week to start a whole range of new initiatives that will help the RCM be more environmentally friendly all year round.’
‘Single-use’ was named Collins Dictionary’s word of the year in 2018. It defines it as ‘a term that describes items whose unchecked proliferation are blamed for damaging the environment and affecting the food chain’. It’s certainly an issue that rings true for many at the RCM and one the student body is firmly behind. Inga Ryan, who manages the catering outlet at the College, reports that ‘we have almost halved our reliance on plastic cups thanks to reward initiatives such as introducing a discount when you purchase a hot drink using a reusable mug. Last year, that equated to more than 19,000 hot drink purchases.’ The RCM now also sells a reusable coffee mug at its shop, alongside a number of other products made from sustainable and recyclable materials. Over the past year, other initiatives have included replacing singleuse plastic knives and forks with metal reusable cutlery, introducing compostable straws and a reward scheme for anyone who brings their own Tupperware to purchase hot food.
Looking forward to the next decade, Aida aims to embed sustainability across all aspects of the RCM. And there’s certainly an appetite for it. There are already experiments with digital programme notes to reduce the amount of paper used, live-streamed concerts reaching a global audience and lessons with professors all over the world using the innovative LOLA technology which allows for real-time performance and reduces the need to travel. Aida says: ‘My ultimate goal is that we are a forward-looking institution and a role model in terms of our sustainable credentials. I want to ensure a positive environment that our staff, students and visitors are proud of.’
