Environment Strategy Annual Report 2020/21 December 2021
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Environment Strategy Annual Report 2020/21 Document Title:
Document Author: Responsible Person and Department: Approving Body:
Mat Jane – Head of Environment and Building Services Anna Wyse – Environment and Sustainability Manager Mat Jane – Head of Environment and Building Services Board of Governors
Date of Approval:
30/03/2022
Date Effective From:
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Review Date:
30/03/2023
Indicate whether the document is for Public Access public access or internal access only Internal Access Only Indicate whether the document applies to Applies to Collaborative Provision collaborative provision? (Strikethrough text, as appropriate) Summary: This report details progress against targets set in the University of Winchester Environment Strategy for the year 2020/21.
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Table of Contents Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Key Points......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Recommendation ............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Energy ................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Renewable Energy Generation ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 Renewable Energy Procurement...................................................................................................................................................... 8 Carbon Credits.................................................................................................................................................................................. 8 Display Energy Certificates .............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Water ................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 Transport ........................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Campus Fleet Vehicles ................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Promoting Sustainable Transport .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Bus.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Cycling ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 12 Train Travel .................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Park and Ride ................................................................................................................................................................................. 12 Easit Membership .......................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Waste ................................................................................................................................................................................ 13 Chewing Gum ................................................................................................................................................................................. 15 Coffee Cups .................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 End of Term Move-Out .................................................................................................................................................................. 16 Biodiversity........................................................................................................................................................................ 16 Emissions........................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Community ........................................................................................................................................................................ 17 Reputation ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Benchmarking: People and Planet Green League.......................................................................................................................... 17 Supporting Local Charities ............................................................................................................................................................. 18 Winchester Basics Bank ............................................................................................................................................................ 18 WinACC ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Extinction Rebellion .................................................................................................................................................................. 18 Winchester Night Shelter, Trinity & Emmaus ........................................................................................................................... 18 Winchester Prison ..................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Procurement...................................................................................................................................................................... 18
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Ethical Finance ............................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Food ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Paper Consumption........................................................................................................................................................................ 20 Research, Teaching and Learning ........................................................................................................................................ 21 Sustainable Buildings ......................................................................................................................................................... 24 Looking to 2021/22 ............................................................................................................................................................ 24 Environmental Management System ............................................................................................................................................ 24 Single Use Plastics .......................................................................................................................................................................... 24 REFIT / Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) .................................................................................................................. 25 Staff and Student Engagement...................................................................................................................................................... 25 Campus Developments .................................................................................................................................................................. 25 Appendix 1 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 26 Appendix 2 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 29 Appendix 3 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 30
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Introduction This report details progress against targets set in the University of Winchester Environment Strategy. To avoid an overly long document, only key headline achievements and areas of concern are covered. It should be noted that the global COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on some of the metrics reported for the 2020/21 academic year, which makes year on year comparisons difficult. As before, the relevant SDGs have been included against each section where they are applicable.
Key Points 1. Continued reductions in energy use in absolute terms and relative to the size of the estate 2. Significant improvements in renewable energy purchasing with the introduction of 100% renewable gas (biomethane) and the purchase of Carbon Credits for Scopes 1, 2 and parts of Scope 3 3. Continued improvements in the Government’s Display Energy Certificates ratings for many buildings 4. Continued progress in reducing water consumption 5. Continued progress on reduction of paper consumption 6. Improvements in the area of sustainable transport Area
Description
Progress by 2020/21
Target
By When
Energy
Electricity, gas & oil consumption Consumption volume per M2 of estate Consumption volume per FTE Decarbonising the University vehicle fleet Total waste produced onsite per FTE
47%
2025
Segregated recyclate onsite and within sorting facility
51% (64%)
65% reduction relative to floor area 40% reduction relative to floor area 30% reduction in water per staff and student FTE 100% electric or other forms of zero/low carbon powered vehicles 25% reduction in waste mass generated per staff and student FTE increase recycling rates to 80% of all waste generated
Water
Transport- fleet Waste Waste- recycling
62% 37% 46% 46%
Recommendation The Committee is recommended to note the report Chief Operating Officer
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2025 2025 2025 2025 2025
Introduction This report details progress against targets set in the University of Winchester Environment Strategy. The information within the document is for the 2020/21 academic year. Please note that the University carbon footprint data is covered in a separate Carbon Management Plan Annual Monitoring Report. It should be noted that the global COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on some of the metrics reported for the 2019/20 academic year, which makes year on year comparisons difficult. Results reported for 2020/21 may not be representative of a business-as-usual scenario.
Energy
The University is a large user of gas & electricity. Excellent reductions in consumption of these natural resources have been achieved (per m2) since 2006/07. Significant investment in energy efficiency and management of energy has been made since the start of the Carbon Management Programme. Overall total kWh consumption of utilities has reduced per m2 of the estate by 47% since 2006. Note that in 2020/21 a temporary oil fired boiler was installed to heat the Covid-19 testing centre. The University eradicated oil usage as a heating source in 2011 but due to the pandemic had to reintroduce this a temporary measure. Gas consumption increased significantly in 2020/21 due to the new WDC building being in operation. This building has a gas fired Combined Heat and Power (CHP) which acts as the primary heat source for the building but also generates electricity (Co-Generation). % change (2006/7 to 2020/21)
2006/07
2020/21
Electricity Intensity by M2 (kWh's)
78.69
56.83
-28%
Gas Intensity by M2 (kWh's)
133.73
93.12
-30%
Oil Intensity by M2 (litres)
54.98
0.043
-99%
Figure 1 – Table of energy consumption per m 2 2006/7 to 2020/21
It is becoming apparent that the large gains made early in the energy reduction programme are starting to become more difficult to sustain. Therefore, the University has spent considerable time planning large scale energy efficiency projects and mass plant upgrades looking at the longer term. This led to a successful bid to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund (PSDS) in November 2020 which provided £3.12m of grant funding towards low carbon projects. Installation commenced in Spring 2021 by the contractor Ameresco under the Re:Fit Framework.
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Energy Intensity (kWh/M2)
Energy Intensity per m2 300 250 200 150 100 50 0
Axis Title Electricty Consumption per M2
Gas Consumption per M2
Oil Consumption per M2
Figure 2 – Energy Intensity (kWh’s per m2) 2006/07 to 2020/21
Renewable Energy Generation At the start of 2020, the University had 5 renewable electricity installations. Solar Photovoltaics had previously been installed on the Burma Road Student Village Blocks B and D, St Alphege, Bowers Building and the West Downs Centre. Total energy generation increased by 33% compared to 2019/20 due to the completion of the WDC which has a large PV array on the roof. Compared to the first year of PV generation for the University overall electricity generation has increased by 228%. On-site generation accounted for 1.75% of total electricity consumed in 2020/21. In terms of carbon reduction, it is key to increase the production of onsite renewable energy, Solar Photovoltaic were installed on four further buildings (Burma Road Student Village Blocks A, C and E and installed capacity was increased on blocks B and D. A final installation was made on The Stripe) as part of the PSDS project during 2021. BRSV started generating savings in November 2021 with The Stripe coming online in December 2021. The savings made and carbon avoided by these new installations will be reflected in lower emissions in next year’s Carbon Management Plan.
Electricity Generated kWh's Electricity Generated
100,000
80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0
2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21
Electricity Generated PV Figure 3 – Renewable Energy Generated on Campus
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Renewable Energy Procurement The University has been purchasing 100% renewable electricity since 2008. In 2019/20 the University also made the decision to procure a percentage of renewable or ‘green’ gas. 47% of the University Gas consumption was purchased from renewable sources (generated from biomethane from anaerobic food digestion plants) for that year. In 2020/21 the decision to move to 100% green gas was made. The University purchases Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates through its energy supplier to cover all of the annual gas demand each year. A copy of the REGO certificate for the 2020/21 consumption of renewable gas can be found at Appendix 1
Renewable Energy Purchasing - % of Total 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
Green Gas % of total
Renewable Electricity % of total
Figure 4 – Renewable Cas and Electricity – Percentage of total by year
Carbon Credits In Spring 2021, the University joined the Carbon Coalition, a consortium of 7 Higher and Further Education Institutions trialling the purchase of Carbon Credits. The aim of the pilot was to leverage the combined purchasing power and knowledge of the Institutions to evaluate the most sustainable, robust and cost-effective projects available which will become the Carbon Coalition Portfolio. The selection of Carbon Credits for the Portfolio follows the principles of the COP26 Universities Network Offsetting briefing, which provided an agreed methodology based on Science Based Targets. The Carbon Coalition is over seen by Advisory Board. The University purchased 386 tonnes CO2e to cover all our Scope 1 and 2 emissions and also our directly controlled Scope 3 emissions for the year 2019-20 which comprises emissions generated from our water and waste water, business travel and waste operations. This means the University is Carbon Neutral for 2019-20 according to the BSI’s PAS2060 Standard for Carbon Neutrality. Certificates containing the Registry Retirement Links can be found in Appendix 2.
Display Energy Certificates Display Energy Certificates (DECs) were introduced by the Government in 2009 and must be displayed in the foyer of all public buildings over 1000m2 in size. More recently the introduction of DECs for smaller buildings over 500m2
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and then 250m2 were introduced. DECs on smaller properties are a legal requirement every 10 years but for benchmarking purposes the University will make voluntary DECs on all buildings over 250m2 on a more regular basis. DECs are a public display of poor energy and carbon performance of the University’s buildings therefore it is essential to reduce the carbon emissions of the buildings. As demonstrated in figure 5 below, the energy efficiency projects which have taken place have improved the ratings of the buildings for which DECs are applicable. Good metering data has also helped to improve the ratings of some buildings along with the installation of renewable technology. The average DEC rating has improved significantly since 2009/10, the average rating is now 57/C compared to 105/E in 2009/10. However, using an average derived from total m2 floorspace, this drops to 47/B, Given the extensive requirements for increased ventilation over this period, the average DEC rating has risen over the previous year and we would expect this to settle down again in normal times. As can be seen from the chart below, the average DEC Rating also increased significantly due to the G rated DEC for the Winton Chapel in 2018/19. This is due to the benchmark for a Church being used rather than a normal campus building, whereas the actual usage is very different from a traditional place of worship. The Chapel has significantly higher occupancy hours and different usage patterns than a typical church upon which the energy benchmark is calculated. It should be noted that the G rating for buildings in 2009/10 are default rankings due to having no useful energy data to compile the DEC with. DECs for an academic year are based upon the energy data from the previous academic year.
Figure 5 – Display Energy Certificates by building 2009/10 to 2020/21 (100 is typical)
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Water
Water consumption has continued to reduce across campus. In 2018, the Estates department introduced a new standard specification document for construction and refurbishment which required that water saving devices must be installed in all new buildings and refurbishments.
140,000
3.000
120,000
2.500
100,000
2.000
80,000
1.500
60,000
1.000
40,000
0.500
20,000
-
0.000
Water Consumption
Water consumption (m3 per M2)
Water consumption (m3)
Water Consumption and Water Intensity
Water Consumption per M2
Figure 6 – Water Consumption (m3) and Water Intensity (m3 by m2 of estate) 2006/7 to 2020/21
The Monitoring and Targeting (M&T) system continues to identify areas of water leakage and poor efficiency. Water consumption per m2 of estate has reduced by 62% since 2006/07 and total water consumption by 37%. It should be noted that the global pandemic will have had a significant effect on water consumption on campus. The sharp increase in water consumption in 2008/9 was due to a very large leak which went undetected until the M&T system was installed.
Transport
A number of new transport initiatives and projects have been launched since the last reporting period.
Campus Fleet Vehicles By the end of 2020/21 the University has 16 fully electric vehicles in its growing fleet. The entire maintenance fleet has been replaced with electric vehicles (note a high efficiency petrol vehicle is still retained for callout purposes),
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the postroom van has also been replaced as has one of the University Pool Cars with an electric vehicle. This has had a significant impact in the amount of diesel and petrol being bought to fuel campus vehicles, with volumes reducing by 49% and 85% respectively compared to the previous year. Electric Vehicles made up 45.7% of the entire University fleet at the end of 2020/21, an increase of 20% on the previous academic year. It should of course be noted that the global pandemic has had a significant impact on the amount of fuel being used in the 2020/21 academic year during the national lockdown and resulting restricted campus activity.
25000
18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
Litres
20000 15000 10000 5000 0
No vehicles
Vehicle Fuels
2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21
Diesel Litres
LPG Litres
Petrol Litres
Number of Electric Vehicles
Figure 7 – Fleet Vehicle Fuel Consumption and Electric Vehicles 2009/10 to 2020/21
It is expected that the majority of the University fleet will be changed to Electric technology as the vehicles are replaced by 2025. Please note that the data submitted to HESA in 2006 to 2008 is not reliable and has therefore been excluded from this report on accuracy grounds.
Promoting Sustainable Transport The University’s Travel Plan was published in 2016 and sets out the commitment to support students and staff to travel sustainably, reducing single occupancy car use and producing a modal shift to sustainable transport options. The University has continued to secure new discounts on public transport and with local suppliers, to diversify the travel offers to staff and students. Information on transport options was distributed via dedicated intranet webpages, the University’s external website and App, an online staff and student pocket guide, staff and student induction talks, leaflets and social media. For the first time, two advice stalls provided travel and transport advice through Arrivals Week. Sustained promotion through these channels has helped increase staff and student uptake of different transport options and reduced single occupancy car travel to campus. Since 2016/17, parking income from permits and enforcement was ringfenced for sustainable travel initiatives.
Bus A 20% discount for staff and students on Bluestar bus 30-day and 90-day network tickets, covering all Bluestar services, including the Bluestar 1 to Winchester. A 10% discount for staff on 13-week or annual Stagecoach Winchester Megarider or Megarider Gold tickets.
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Students also receive a discount on Stagecoach season tickets. These tickets can be purchased per semester or at an annual price. Winchester student season tickets cover Winchester city limits and the Gold tickets cover the wider Stagecoach area including parts of Hampshire, West Sussex and Surrey. There is also a South Hampshire ticket covering the Solent area from Portsmouth to Southampton which is discounted.
Cycling In normal times, a Bike Doctor event is held monthly during term time, run in conjunction with Bespoke Biking. This enables staff and students to bring their bikes for a free service and minor repairs. This event usually runs from October to the following June, the first Thursday of every month. Due to the Pandemic, this service was suspended during Semesters 1 & 2, returning for May and June 2021 when 20 bikes were repaired, compared to around 100 bikes in a normal year. The University has two cycle maintenance stands in two locations on the University site which offer bike users the option to undertake small maintenance tasks on the go. We provide over 20 secure bike parking lockers and our total number of cycle parking spaces increased to 247 in 2020 with the opening of our new West Downs Centre.
Train Travel A discount on South Western Railway (SWR) season tickets for students was agreed at the end of 2016/17. Students can save up to 34% when buying a SWR season ticket, compared to the cost of daily tickets. The take-up of this was low at only 11 students, compared to 45 the previous year. Staff discount for rail travel is covered in the Easit Membership section below.
Park and Ride Park & Ride has become an increasingly useful option for those wishing to commute by car and has eased pressure on car parking spaces at the University. Following a steady rise in recent years, in 2020/21 Park and Ride journeys decreased significantly to only 6,303 journeys undertaken. This was understandable given the mandate to work from home for much of this period. There were 518 registered users split by staff (16%) and students (84%). Indications are that, in 2021/22, the number of journeys has significantly increased to above pre-pandemic levels, This also reflects the decreasing number of students eligible to park on site with as each year passes since changes removing the right to park on Campus.
Park and Ride - Users and Journeys 35000
1000 800
25000 20000
600
15000
400
10000 200
5000 0
0
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
Park and Ride Journeys Figure 8 – Park and Ride statistics by year
Easit Membership 12
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
Park and Ride Users
2019/20
2020/21
P&R Users
P&R Journeys
30000
The University remained a member of the EasitHAMPSHIRE network with all staff being eligible to join the scheme, enabling access to a suite of discounts. This included a 15% discount on all South Western Railway journeys into Winchester. EasitHAMPSHIRE membership amongst staff has grown steadily since 2014/15, as shown in figure 9. Of the 338 members who have registered, 227 are using the Halfords discount and discounted bus travel and the other 61 are using the rail discounts. Whilst there has been a small reduction in total number of users in 2020, this is due to the reduction in travel due to increased home working.
No of Members
EASIT Members 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
2020/21
EASIT Members Figure 9 – EASIT Members by year
Waste
The University entered a waste contract with SUEZ Environmental in 2015/16 which has run for 5 years with a 2 year contract extension. The tender process has commenced for renewal from 2023 which will again be a collaborative contract with 7 other Universities on the south coast known as SCAG (South Coast Affinity Group).
2020/21 (Tonnes) Total Waste to Landfill
0
Total Energy From Waste
177
Total Recycled
183
Total Waste Weight
360
Total Recycling Rate
51%
Figure 10 – Waste breakdown per year
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Pay by weight technology will again be required and extended to other areas such as food waste. Social implications of the contract such as local employability will also be included and circular economy solutions to waste disposal sought out. The collaborative contract has led to the University achieving zero waste to landfill from 2013 and a significant improvement in its recycling rate.
Figure 11– Total Waste Production by year
In 2018/19 the University recycling rate was 64% a significant improvement on the recycling rate the previous year of 56%. However, as a result of the global pandemic, the University recycling rate decreased dramatically in both 2019/20 and 2020/21. Due to collapsing markets for recyclable materials and uncertainty on staffing levels due to the national furlough scheme, the waste contractor was forced to send all recycling to incineration. Despite this the University still managed to achieve a 51% recycling rate. A trial of food waste collection in Halls of Residence took place in Spring 2021 further to which the introduction of food waste collection for all self catering Halls of Residence was introduced in September 2021. This should lead to an upturn in recycling rates reported in the next annual report.
Kg waste generated per Head (FTE)
Waste Mass Per Head (FTE) 120
100 80 60
40 20 0
2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 Figure 12 – Waste Mass Per FTE by year
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Figure 12 shows that the amount of waste being generated by each member of staff and student has also decreased, however the impact of the Global Pandemic in 2019/20 and 2020/21 should be considered as the amount of waste being generated and the number of staff and students on campus was minimal during lockdown periods.. Waste mass per head has reduced by 46% since the first year of reliable waste data in 2009/10.
Chewing Gum In September 2016, the University entered into a contract with Gumdrop Ltd to collect and recycle chewing gum and installed 11 Gumdrop bins across King Alfred and West Downs campuses. In the first year (2016/17), the University collected 3kg of chewing gum which was sent onto Gumdrop to be recycled into new plastic products, including reusable Gum-tec Americano mugs. The Gumdrop bins have made a marked improvement to the amount of chewing gum littering the campus. Gumdrop Cups are then given out to students and staff to reduce reliance on single use plastics. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the chewing gum collection points were removed from use due to the potential transmission of the virus. They were redeployed in November 2021 following assurances from Gumdrop Ltd as to the safety of the process.
Coffee Cups The University runs an award-winning disposable coffee cup reduction initiative. In 2016, a 25p surcharge was introduced on all hot and cold drinks purchased in a disposable cup. Between February and August 2017, 3000 Gum-tec Americano mugs, made partly of recycled chewing gum, were given away to staff and students on a first come first served basis. In 2018/19 this scheme was expanded further with reusable china being offered for drink in sales in coffee outlets across campus. A Deposit Cup Scheme was introduced which offers students and staff an opportunity to purchase a cup for £1 which is refunded if returned after use. These initiatives have produced a significant change in consumer behaviour with sales of drinks in reusable cups increasing substantially. There was a significant reduction in coffee sales due to the pandemic, it is interesting to note that the percentage of sales in reusable cups has remained at 53% and no change in consumer behaviour has been seen.
Hot Drinks Sales 160000
60%
140000
50%
120000 40%
100000 80000
30%
60000
20%
40000 10%
20000 0
0% 2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
Hot Drink Sales in China
Hot Drink Sales in Reusable Cups
Hot Drink Sales in Disposable Cups
% of Total Sales in Non-Disposable Cups
Figure 13 – Hot drinks sales breakdown per year
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2020/21
End of Term Move-Out In 2020/21, the University repeated its end-of-year move-out recycling initiative called ‘Bag It Up’. Students are asked to donate unwanted items such as clothing, kitchenware, books and unused food when they vacate their Halls of Residence. This was the third successive year of the Bag it Up campaign (having been skipped in 2019/20) and was challenging due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, over a two week period, a team of student volunteers led by the Sustainability Manager sorted around 175 bags of donations. As a result, over £1,000 of in-date dried and canned food was donated to Winchester Basics Bank, along with 14 boxes of kitchen equipment and 40 bags of clothing. In total, this weighed an estimated 1.2 tonnes. Winchester Basics Bank were able to distribute clothing and kitchen packs to those most in need, as well as food at this difficult time.
Biodiversity
The University first commissioned its Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) in 2012 from The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s consulting wing, Arcadian. This was updated in 2016 and again during the summer of 2021. Arcadian undertook a full re-survey of the campus and produced an updated BAP report featuring a series of actions to maintain, enhance and create new habitats across the campus. Projects completed prior to the 2020 lockdown are listed below. There then followed a hiatus from March 2020 (during Lockdown) until students returned for the beginning of the in 2021/22 academic year. A particularly success has been the Hedgehog Friendly Campus initiative, which the University signed up to in October 2019, achieving Bronze and Silver status by April 2021. Previous project include: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Installation of five new bat boxes in various locations on King Alfred Campus Installation of a nestcam in a new bird box on The Cottage Maintenance of the wildlife ponds at Holm Lodge, St Grimbalds and next to the KKB by staff and student volunteers Removal of invasive sycamore seedlings and creation of a log pile in the Alwyn copse by student volunteers Reduction of mowing regimes around the edge of The Dytche to create long grass habitat and enable existing wildflower species to flower Reduction of spring and summer mowing regimes around St Grimbald’s and St Elizabeth’s Hall to protect the population of White Helleborine orchid, in line with No Mow May. Sections of wildflower areas left uncut in autumn to provide habitat for overwintering insects Creation of hedgehog highways along the boundary fence lines of King Alfred and West Downs campuses Small mammal survey of King Alfred and West Downs campuses Conservation and tree planting initiatives implemented as part of Go Green Week Swift box building workshops Discussions with Landlords and Hampshire Swifts charity to talk about installing swift boxes around Winchester. Hedgehog box workshops were completed with Students assisted by members of the University Maintenance Department, and deployed on site.
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•
Hedgehog surveys, the last having been conducted in May 2021 for National Hedgehog Awareness Week in association with NHS staff from the Royal Hampshire Hospital with staff, students and grounds and estates staff. Results indicated significant hedgehog activity across University sites.
Emissions
The University holds three Discharge Consents covering wastewater from our laundries discharged to the mains sewers as trade effluent. We do not operate any soakaways on campus. Neither do we generate any emissions to air that require a permit. As required by law, the University closely monitors F Gas emissions from air handling units which are regularly maintained. There were no fugitive F Gas emissions in 2020/21. Planned actions in the coming year to minimise emissions to air, ground or water courses include: • • • •
Implementing Spill Awareness Training for Maintenance, Grounds and Project Staff; Marking up of surface and foul drain covers indicate either foul or storm water and flow direction by end 2021/22, in accordance with our Site Drainage Plan. Maintaining and improving F Gas Register with target of maintaining zero fugitive emissions. Continuing compliance with conditions of Discharge Consents.
Community
Reputation The University continues to support the Hampshire Sustainable Business Network and the HOE&BS and the Environment & Sustainability Manager regularly present on sustainability issues to Hampshire businesses involved in the network. The Energy and Environment Team have engaged with a number of external stakeholders this year including Winchester Action on Climate Change, Winchester College, Winchester City Council Climate Neutrality open forum and stakeholders representing town centre businesses.
Benchmarking: People and Planet Green League In 2021, the University was rated First Class in the People & Planet Green League, ranking 26th out of 154 HEIs. This was up from 32nd place in 2018/19, having previously risen 40 places from 72nd in 2015-16. A set of new environmental pages on the University’s external website detailing all sustainability initiatives in place under the banner Green Campus helped showcase our achievements to People and Planet. These included ethical investment, staff and student engagement, education for sustainable development and biodiversity commitments. The information presented is used by People & Planet, in combination with EMR data submitted in the University’s HESA return to score the institution’s environmental and ethical credentials and determine the Green League ranking.
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Supporting Local Charities
Winchester Basics Bank The University formed a close working relationship with Winchester Basics Bank in 2020/21 following the end of term Bag It Up donations. The purpose of the Winchester Basics Bank (backed by Churches Together in Winchester) is to provide an emergency food and clothing service for people who are facing difficulty following an unexpected event in their lives. We hope to continue to support them in 2021/22.
WinACC The University continues to support Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC) with free office space. The nominated trustee for the University is Professor Robert Beckford, Director of the Institute for Climate and Social Justice.
Extinction Rebellion The University continues to support extinction rebellion and has supported local action by giving staff the opportunity to attend events if they wish to do so. The group is also supported through the provision of meeting space and presence at the Freshers Fair.
Winchester Night Shelter, Trinity & Emmaus The University has partnered with other local charitable organisations such as Emmaus, the Winchester Night Shelter and Trinity. The Bag It Up campaign delivered bespoke kitchen packs for the Winchester Night Shelter in 2019 for use in their temporary accommodation, although donations were not being accepted in 2021. The Universities Porterage team helped support for Big Sleep Out event in 2019/20 by helping to collect cardboard for the event from local businesses and for recycling after the event.
Winchester Prison Winchester Prison is a men’s prison and young offender Institution close to the University Campus. The University’s Institute for Climate and Social Justice has initiated a rewilding project at the prison, in collaboration with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to commence in 2022.
Procurement
The University has clear procurement policies and sustainability has been embedded into these policies. Staff involved in buying activity across the University have been trained on their procurement approach and how this should align with the environmental and sustainability objectives of the University. These policies are reviewed throughout the financial year. Examples of this can be seen in university tendered contracts such as stationery, where daily deliveries were rescheduled to twice a week, electric vehicles introduced when replacing older vehicles and single use plastics
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greatly reduced across a wide product range. Another example can be seen in the recently tendered Graduation Services Contract where our specifications dictated the usage of sustainable and ethically sourced materials in all gowns and supporting clothing. The University’s travel contract was retendered in Autumn 2021 with the new contract producing more granular data on carbon emissions from staff business travel. The new travel bureau is fully committed to supporting the University with all key sustainable policies and targets. Targets for the coming year include: •
Accurate capture of carbon data from business travel
•
Introduction of a Carbon Conscious Researcher policy which will restrict business air travel
•
Further improvements in Sustainable Procurement to more accurately record Scope 3 emissions from goods and services.
Ethical Finance
The University deposits any cash holdings in short term deposit accounts held with ethical banks including the Triodos Bank and Nationwide Bank. To this extent the University is fully diversified not only for its funds on deposit but also for the majority of its borrowing. The University has an Ethical Banking and Investment Policy which can be accessed via the Policies and Procedures section of the website. In 2018/19, the new West Downs Centre Building became the first building in the HE Sector to be funded using an ethical finance. Triodos Bank is a global pioneer in sustainable banking using the power of finance to invest in projects that are good for people and the planet. Triodos uses its €14.5 billion (2017) in assets to create social, environmental and cultural value in a transparent and sustainable way.
Food
The University of Winchester continued to be a leader with regards to sustainable food, particularly in the Higher Education sector, in what was a difficult year under the cloud of covid-19. The Catering department have worked hard to provide the most ethical and sustainable catering possible and each year they have made improvements in their supply chains to introduce local sustainable products. They procured free range pork and chicken as well as UK produced higher welfare meat. Across campus, including in all coffee shops, they used sustainably caught and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fish, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Assured foods (previously Freedom Food), organic eggs and milk.
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The department continued to buy seasonal and local produce wherever possible, as well as Fairtrade organic bananas. This past year the decision was made to remove organic beef from the menus so burgers and beef mince are a thing of the past. The University, as signatory of the Humane Society’s Creature Kind Commitment, endorsed the use of non-meat and dairy alternatives, such as organic soya milk and coconut and oat milk, which played an important part of menu development. Additionally, vegan cheese became a staple item across the outlets and was available for both pizzas and burgers and is now regularly included in homemade vegan paninis . The department reviewed the purchase of new equipment to include the full life costing and continued to install and maintain energy saving devices such as the variable extract system from quintex or the heat recovery unit; this recycled the heat from several remote chillers to create “free” hot water for the dishwasher The University, which is a Hampshire Fare member, supported individual supplier members and the Catering Manager sits on a number of different groups including The Winchester Fairtrade Network, Winchester Food partnership steering group, the National Sustainability group for The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO) and the new TUCO palm oil group, which was created in 2018 to work with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) on a wider accreditation system for universities. The department was a founding member of the Winchester City Food Group. It has also been awarded a number of accolades for its sustainable food including; •
Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) 3-star Accreditation, the first University to achieve this. Top 20 status in 2017/18 out of 6,000 SRA businesses
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Soil Association accreditation for a variety of menus including Silver and Gold, although the campus wide audit has placed the department at silver
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Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) Good Egg award for using only free-range eggs
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CIWF Good Chicken award for using only free-range chicken, yet another first for the sector.
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Good Dairy Award for using organic milk, sourced locally when available.
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Received MSC accreditation from TUCO and MSC in 2020
In collaboration with the Humane Society International the department has also been monitoring their CO2e output in relation to meat and dairy use and it’s reduction by the inclusion of plant-based alternatives within the menus. This gradual switch to include plant-based alternatives has seen an overall 39% reduction in Co2e since 15/16, with the largest fall attributed to the removal of beef. Catering have recently signed the Better Chicken Commitment and are advocates of the Eating Better campaign. To further support Eating better and raise awareness of reducing meat consumption the team appeared in the national campaign video. Winchester has been working with Friends of the Earth on their new Kale Yeah campaign. This is an active green nudging campaign that rewards positive steps to reduce or remove meat from people’s diets.
Paper Consumption
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The University continues to buy only 100% recycled paper and has worked hard to reduce its paper consumption by the use of innovative technology, portable devices and online submission.
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Figure 14 – Sheets of paper consumed by year total and per FTE
The amount of paper consumed by the university is continuing to decrease. In 2006/7 the University consumed 6.9m sheets of paper but this had reduced to 800k in 2020/21, a reduction of 88% in total and a reduction of 93% in terms of sheets of paper per FTE. However, the global pandemic will have made a significant impact on the amount of paper being consumed in 20/21 and levels of paper consumption are likely to increase as we return to business as normal.
Research, Teaching and Learning
The 2020/21 Academic Year saw the creation of two new bodies within the University dedicated to taking forward learning related to climate change, but also saw some significant figures leave the University. Vice-Chancellor Joy Carter CBE DL stepped down in April 2021 after 15 years in the role during which the University had become the University for Sustainability and Social Justice. Professor Carole Parkes and Professor Tammi Sinha were also notable leavers who had strongly championed sustainability throughout the Institution. The Centre for Climate Change Education and Action was created, led by Dr Simon Boxley, and led a series of events leading up to the COP26 Summit in November 2021. Dr Boxley also took over as leading the Responsible Futures Programme.
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Dr Karen Cripps took over as PRME lead from Professor Carole Parkes including the publication of the bi-annual PRME Report. Professor Robert Beckford was appointed as Director of the newly-created Institute for Climate and Social Justice. Targets for 2021/22 will be to update the Strategy for Climate Education and the Sustainable Development Policy, as well as reinvigorating the Carbon Literacy education programme at the UoW. The Learning and Teaching Strategy will also be revised during 2021/22 as our commitment to include Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) deepens. This commitment took a step forward in November 2016, when the University published a five-year strategy for Climate Education at the University of Winchester. This was followed in 2018 by our Sustainable Development Policy covering the delivery of Education for Sustainable Development. These policies set out an objective to: “[…] ensure by 2021 every graduate will have learnt about and explored issues relevant to climate change. Climate change education will be made available, accessible and relevant for all undergraduates, whatever their chosen subject, so that the success and hallmark of being a Winchester graduate will include an appreciation of three key issues: the affect on social justice, the ubiquitous impact and, above all, the urgency of the challenges presented by climate change.” To implement this strategy, the university and students’ union, in partnership, embarked on a range of initiatives building on existing good practice. Academics across the university are required to include ESD content and pedagogies as a part of their teaching, learning, and are supported in doing so. Modules which do not teach the SDGs have to seek an exemption from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor. As a means of achieving our ESD aims, the university and students’ union has become accredited under the NUS Responsible Futures scheme. The university appointed a member of staff, on secondment from NUS, to lead the scheme which led to implementation of the programme beginning in the 2017-18 academic year. The Partnership gained Responsible Futures accreditation in 2019 with a score of 261 points. This accreditation was repeated in October 2021, when our accreditation was revalidated with a score of 214 points. This result reflects the challenges faced in teaching EDS during the Pandemic and with a new team of staff, but also demonstrates the commitment we have made, at all levels, to embedding ESD across all aspects of our institution. As part of the Responsible Futures programme, a curriculum audit was conducted during 2017-18 academic year. The aim of the audit was to determine the current levels of teaching, learning, and assessment relating to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the University’s three core values, and ESD pedagogy within taught undergraduate modules. This report was published and findings fed back to senior academics in the 18/19 academic year. This showed that 49% of the University’s undergraduate modules cover at least one issue related to the SDGs, with 6% of modules covering five or more of the goals. In respect of the University’s values, 43% of our undergraduate modules reflected at least one of the values, with 10% reflecting all three. A follow-up audit, at Programmatic level was repeated in Spring 2021, led by Dr Simon Boxley. This revealed that, due to the validation cycle, some Programme Descriptors did not include sufficient information about the SDGs, and so a qualitative assessment was also made by Programme Leaders. This report was published to the Sustainability Committee in June 2021 and findings fed back to senior academics. In addition, a module entitled ‘Introduction to Climate Change’ was run in 2019/20 providing Carbon Literacy Training to a number of staff and students. Targets in 2021/22 including consolidating the Climate Change Education and Sustainable Development Policies and developing an Education for Sustainable Development and Climate Change Education Toolkit to assist staff.,
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based on the QAA’s 2021 Education for Sustainable Development Guidance Document. A Learning Lunch on the new QAA Guidance on ESD will run in March 2022.
Figure 15 – UN SDGs taught within all UoW Programmes 2021/21
Figure 16 – University Values taught within all UoW Programmes 2021/21
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Sustainable Buildings
The University will ensure that all major new build and refurbishment projects are built to the highest environmental standards. The University continues be informed by industry leading organisations on sustainable building, including UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) membership and the London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI). The University’s Estates Vision 2030 sets out a framework of estate development to manage growth by reusing buildings where possible and developing sector-leading new buildings where required. Inferior quality buildings have been prioritised for redevelopment which helps maintain and improve portfolio building performance. New buildings are targeted to meet the highest practical standards beyond sector best practice. The standards adopted will vary depending on building type and location but will always be founded on the values of the University. Typical standards to be used include BREEAM Outstanding and Passivhaus in terms of general sustainability/energy use and WELL Certified in respect of user health and wellbeing. A life cycle carbon analysis will form part of the decision-making process of major projects. The latest major development was the West Downs Centre, completed in 2020. This building boasts several sustainable features including a combined heat and power plant, heat recovery systems, rainwater harvesting, a green roof and solar photovoltaic panels. The building is on target to achieve a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) 'Excellent' rating. The building is registered to achieve WELL Certified, an international building standard for measuring how a building impacts on its users’ health and wellbeing. It is hoped that both the BREEAM and WELL certifications will be awarded in 2022.
Looking to 2021/22 Environmental Management System
The University has signed up to the University Sector Eco-Campus scheme. This is a sector specific programme for Universities to obtain ISO14001 status. The University has completed actions to the Bronze and Silver standards and will be seeking accreditation in the 2021/22 academic year.
Single Use Plastics
In July 2021, the University approved its strategy to eliminate unnecessary single use plastic items by December 2021. Progress has been hampered due to the Pandemic necessitating the introduction of numerous single use
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plastic items related to testing for Covid-19 and PPE, and reducing the incidence of transmission through touch. For example, Food on Campus has reintroducing sachets and disposable cups due to caution over covid-19. PPE recycling bins are in place across campus to mitigate this new waste stream. October 2021 saw the appointment of a Waste Minimisation Officer who will be driving forward plastics reduction on Campus during 2022.
REFIT / Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) In 2021/22, the University will realise its Public Sector Decarbonisation Programme (PSDS) installation. The PSDS funding covered installation of 34 Air Source Heat Pumps (replacing gas boilers), completion of LED lighting rollout, installation of smart heating controls in West Downs Student village and in other building across campus and the installation of Solar PV panels on 4 more buildings. The University used the REFIT framework, an Energy Performance Contract framework, for procurement of these large scale energy efficiency measures. Work commenced on site in Spring 2021 with completion of the PSDS project expected by end March 2022. This investment has been made possible by a £3.12m grant from Salix. Lead contractor Ameresco have provided guaranteed cost savings of £102k /yr and carbon savings of 505 tCO2e/yr. However it is anticipated that electricity usage will rise in 2022 whilst gas usage will reduce. More information can be found in Appendix 3.
Staff and Student Engagement Go Green Week ran in March 2021 as a virtual event. Each day was themed to highlight issues including Fair Trade, eliminating Single Use Plastics and Race to Net Zero. Although the majority of students were learning from home, volunteers for our Bag It Up recycling campaign and other student engagement opportunities went ahead. Fairtrade Fortnite saw a virtual meeting featuring speakers from the Fair Trade Foundation (Commercial Director); Winchester City Fairtrade, the University’s Food on Campus team and a representative of the University’s Fairtrade Group, whilst the Food on Campus team promoted a Fairtrade Menu over the period combined with giveaways and promotions. National Hedgehog Week saw a week of hedgehog surveying by our enthusiastic team of staff and students working towards our Hedgehog Friendly Campus Gold accreditation. We were lucky to be joined by our NHS neighbours from the Royal County Hampshire Hospital, who also support a healthy hedgehog population. In 2020/21, the university introduced a new Staff Recognition Award called ‘Together Winchester’. These are held throughout the year and showcase and celebrate colleagues who have gone above and beyond what might be expected of them to assist an individual or a project at the University. Those nominated are invited to a morning tea hosted by ELT.
Campus Developments 2020/21 saw significant improvements in accessibility for the TAB. A lift was installed between floors with access from the Bridge at terrace level. Accessibility improvements from the Dytche Car Park are in hand to enable users who need assisted access from the car park to access the St Alphege terrace. It will also provide a welcoming and enhanced approach from the car park. Future plans also include resolving the unsuitable access to Burma Road towards the Hospital and will provide a footpath, steps and an ambient disabled compliant route to a formal road crossing to campus from the Hospital.
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Appendix 1 Copy of `renewable gas guarantee of origin certificate for 2020/21
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Appendix 2 Copy of Carbon Credits Certificate for 2019/20
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Appendix 3 Summary of Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Funded capital programme
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