Objective 1: Demonstrating sustainable leadership

We aim to demonstrate sustainable leadership both internally and within the community. This means embedding the responsibility for climate action within all relevant policies and committees and ensuring that our procedures and reward processes recognise this priority. We also hope to be a regional leader, supporting our local community and sector to act collaboratively, innovatively, and effectively to address the climate and ecological crisis. It is our objective that staff across the University will align our governance structures with addressing the crisis and then commit to their implementation, even when facing challenges.

ISO14001 and ISO50001

Our Environmental and Energy Management System is the foundation of our university-wide work to embed environmental action and continue to improve every year. We are certified to EcoCampus Platinum level and, as of 2020, we are one of only a handful of universities to be externally certified to both ISO14001 and ISO50001 for environmental and energy management, respectively. The focus of ISO50001 particularly has in recent years helped us to secure the data we need to understand and target energy improvements and support business cases for investment. For example, this year we have installed 35 new meters for recording utilities consumption at Chapel Gate which will allow us to identify, develop and define new energy projects on that site.

Sustainability Committee work

Our Sustainability Committee is responsible for our Environment and Energy Management System and reports directly into the University Leadership Team. Committee members represent academic faculties, our students and Students Union, our staff unions as well as essential functions of IT, Procurement, Marketing & Communications and Estates. The Committee is chaired by Stuart Laird, Director of Estates, and co-chaired by Dr Fiona Cownie, Associate Professor, Faculty of Media and Communication. As a team the Committee works to challenge each other and provide a formal place to share sustainability leadership across BU. They review and approve all our environmental policies and proposals are regularly brought for support. This year, students on the MBA programme shared their proposals to help BU achieve net zero, with ideas for carbon capture using plants on campus, a sustainable student app and a technology solution using hydrogen.

Winning the Vice Chancellor’s Staff Award

In 2022 the work of the wider sustainability team was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Enriching Society. This was in recognition of the far-reaching work of the team including its collaborations across the university in projects including Eco Entrepreneurs, its emissions-reducing leadership and academic support to embed sustainability into our teaching and research.

Sustainable Procurement

Our supply chain is responsible for a large proportion of our emissions so this year we have continued working to reduce its impact. In September 2021, we joined Net Positive Futures, an online portal where our suppliers can create an action plan to improve their environmental, social and economic impact. Through this, we can gain an insight into the work of our suppliers, including their emissions reduction targets.

Our Sustainability Team now create questions for and partially score tenders, where a default of 15% of the total score should be allocated to sustainability. This has supported us to take advantage of sustainability opportunities such as for our new sportswear, manufactured by EV2, which will mostly be made from recycled polyester.

Working with University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) for Climate Action

We have been close partners with UHD for several years and are increasingly working together to integrate sustainability across our organisations. Through this partnership:

• BU is an active member of the UHD Sustainability Committee enabling collaboration and mutual support as UHD embeds its Green Plan,

• UHD and BU are planning research to better understand and reduce patient travel for local imaging diagnostic services,

• BU has shared the improvements it found to be most successful for encouraging active and sustainable travel directly to UHD,

• We have been able to build links between the BU CECAP and UHD’s Green Plan.

Stuart Lane who studied MSc Green Economy at BU is now the Sustainability and Carbon Manager at UHD. He shares: “UHD’s strategic partnership with BU has paved the way for an even closer working relationship between the sustainability teams and is revealing a stream of exciting opportunities to support each other towards our sustainability goals. These will not just reduce the negative impacts of our operations but enhance our ability to provide positive impacts for our staff, wider community, the local environment and beyond.”

Local Climate Partnership

The partnership between BU and University Hospitals Dorset has paved the way for the foundations of a new Local Climate Partnership for Dorset and BCP which is in development. To demonstrate BU’s commitment, we have edited the objectives of our Sustainability Policy to say that BU is committed to achieving sustainability good practice throughout its activities by:

“Working in partnerships with the local community, the education sector and other key stakeholders to share good practice and implement and celebrate sustainable development. Through partnerships with local organisations including BCP Council, Dorset Council and University Hospitals Dorset we will support our region on its journey to becoming net zero.”

For BU this collaboration is vital to enable us to positively contribute to our region reaching net zero. By working together, we can address barriers and constraints more easily and share our academic and research abilities to support organisational and regional transformation towards more sustainable approaches. Our initial conversations have included sharing experiences, progress and plans with around 20 organisations in

BCP and Dorset. This relationship building forms a vital foundation for cooperation and trust upon which we will be operating a structure of subgroups working together on important issues.

Cop26

A group of BU staff travelled by train or lift share to attend COP26, the international climate conference, in Glasgow. In addition to providing us with an insight into the current state of climate policy to share with our Sustainability Committee and help shape our climate response, we were able to establish international networks. Dr Emma Jenkins, Director for the Institute for the Modelling of Socio-Environmental Transitions (IMSET), attended multiple events based on heritage and climate change, the research focus of IMSET, which has helped further research opportunities. You can read about Emma’s experience of COP26 here.

SUBU Freshers Fair

Freshers Fair is one of the biggest events in a university calendar. The 2021 Fair offset its emissions by planting over 9000 trees, supported by BU alumni-driven company, Gaia. The Fair also encouraged its stall holders to reduce waste and promote ethical consumption through a sustainability audit.

Climate Assembly – Get Your Voice Heard

Our BU Climate Assemblies are important events to allow students and staff to learn more about what BU are doing and importantly to have their voices heard and able to influence our approach. This year the feedback sessions covered biodiversity and connection to nature and decarbonisation.

If you are a student, staff or local community member interested in joining future Climate Assemblies, please email: sustainability@bournemouth.ac.uk