KEELE UNIVERSITY Sustainability Report 2016 CONTENTS AND CONTACTS Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 1. Vision and key achievements ................................................................... 2 2. Student Engagement .................................................................................. 4 3. Sustainability in the Curriculum ............................................................... 6 4. Research.......................................................................................................... 9 5. Grounds and Biodiversity .......................................................................... 13 6. Energy, Water and Carbon emissions .................................................... 15 7. Smart Energy network Demonstrator (SEND) .................................... 19 8. Waste and Recycling ................................................................................... 20 9. Transport and Travel .................................................................................... 22 10. Green Impact ................................................................................................. 24 11. Sustainable Procurement ........................................................................... 26 12. Sustainable Catering ................................................................................... 27 13. Outreach and the Sustainability Hub ..................................................... 28 14. Communication ............................................................................................. 31 15. Steering Group and Contacts ................................................................... 32 For information on sustainability at Keele University please see: www.keele.ac.uk/greenkeele or email: [email protected] INTRODUCTION BY THE DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PROVOST Professor Mark Ormerod, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost, Keele University This is the fourth University Sustainability Looking forwards our proposed development Report, and it demonstrates the considerable of the first ‘at scale’ Smart Energy Network strides and continuous improvement that Demonstrator in Europe is hugely exciting, and Keele has made over the last two years in will provide a genuinely world-class facility the area of sustainability, and the breadth for smart energy research and development, of sustainability activities across all the in partnership with business and industry. We University’s activities, reflecting our very strong have also made significant progress in forming institutional commitment to sustainability. new international networks and partnerships We have seen significant progress across demonstrating our increasing international all aspects of sustainability, ranging from reputation for our holistic, whole-institution Professor Mark Ormerod embedding sustainability within discipline approach to sustainability. curricula, with a strong commitment to give Although I am the University’s strategic lead all our students an increased awareness of for Sustainability, sustainability leadership in sustainability, continued growth of research these issues comes from all levels, from our and innovation in sustainability, highlighted by Chancellor Jonathon Porritt CBE, through strong performance in the Research Excellence to individual module leaders embedding Framework and a number of significant sustainability into their teaching, through grant successes, and continued successful to the staff ensuring that their practices campus developments and initiatives and are more sustainable. My continued thanks carbon reduction. goes to all our staff and students for One real highlight was the student-led bid to their continued personal and professional host the prestigious annual World Student commitment to helping Keele become a more Environmental Network Global Summit at sustainable university. Keele (in partnership with Sussex University) I am confident that over the coming year we in July 2016, which will be a superb conference will see further progress and successes and and a fantastic experience for all the student achievements across all areas of sustainability, delegates coming to Keele from all areas of and increased partnership activities, as we aim the world. Our students have put together a to be the most environmentally sustainable Jonathon Porritt, CBE really outstanding and stimulating programme. campus university in the UK. Chancellor, Keele University Being shortlisted for four Green Gown Awards in 2016 is a great achievement and highlights both the quality and breadth of our sustainability activities. Professor Mark Ormerod Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Keele University 1 1. VISION AND KEY ACHIEVEMENTS 2015 saw the publication of the new University Since the last Sustainability Report there have This report provides a summary of some of our in Europe. £5 million has been secured from Strategic Plan, with Sustainability featuring very been many successes in our sustainability key sustainability achievements over the last the Department of Business, Innovation and prominently in the new strategy, with a separate activities. Some highlights include: two years. These are described in detail in over Skills and the Department of Energy and aim devoted to sustainability. Aim 5 of the new 12 sections, demonstrating how sustainability Climate Change as part of the Stoke-on-Trent • winner of the Institutional Leadership Award Strategic Plan is: reaches into every part of what we do. & Staffordshire ‘City Deal’. This Government in the Green Gown Awards, for Pat Bailey, the investment, together with further significant “To promote environmental sustainability in all then Pro Vice-Chancellor for Environment At a time of reduced leadership for funding being sought from the European that we do” & Sustainability, in 2014. Pat has since left sustainability, including from within the Higher Regional Development Fund and the private Keele, and his responsibilities for leading Education sector, this is a time for leadership This goes on to detail particular aims for sector, will provide a genuinely world- sustainability at an institutional level have to come from within Universities, who at such sustainability across all of the relevant areas class facility for smart energy research and been taken on by Professor Mark Ormerod, times have even greater responsibility as moral including campus developments and carbon development, enabling collaboration with Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost and and intellectual leaders in society. reduction; research and innovation; education; business and industry, and the testing and Professor of Clean Technology; and leadership in our communities. In addition, One of our biggest and most exciting projects evaluation of new and evolving smart energy the Strategic Plan outlines three sustainability • highly commended in 2014 in the competitive is the development of a campus-wide Smart network technologies, bringing specialised jobs ‘transformation projects’ aimed at raising ‘Continuous Improvement: Institutional Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND), to the area. our sustainability activity to a new level and Change’ category of the Green Gown Awards. which will be the first at scale demonstrator enhancing our sector leading reputation. These This application emphasised the role of are to: cultural shift, partnership and empowerment within the University to drive change to • promote a portfolio of environmental become a more sustainable university in all sustainability student projects and encourage that we do; postgraduate studentships through a new • successfully bidding (jointly with Sussex University Research Centre in Environmental University) to host the prestigious annual Sustainability; World Student Environmental Network Global • develop a range of alternative energy sources Summit in July 2016; utilised on site to reduce our carbon footprint • a new student-led ‘veg box’ scheme, set up and underpin research and education by the student-led ‘Keele Food Co-Operative’. programmes associated with environmental This provides organic fruit and vegetables and sustainability; local veg to staff and students on campus at • establish a Smart Energy Network a fraction of the cost of major supermarkets, Demonstrator (SEND) as a national and with no need to travel off campus; demonstrator and focus for research • an ethical shopping guide for students on the dynamic management of energy stemming from three successful years of the resources around a complex residential and Sustainable fashion show run by the Students’ commercial site. Union; We have also made a firm commitment to • shortlisting of four projects for the 2016 educate all our students about sustainability as Green Gown Awards, including Sustainability well as providing opportunities, in partnership Champion - staff (Dave Emley); Sustainability with the Students’ Union, for them to gain Champion – student (Ulrich Pohanka, for his experience in implementing sustainability leadership of the Keele Food Co-operative strategies. With over 40 years of working life and other initiatives); Learning and Teaching ahead of them in many cases our students for our ‘dropping’ of sustainability education are, along with our research and external into all that we do; and Carbon Reduction engagement, arguably where we as an for our long running and extensive series institution will have the greatest impact on