University of Leeds Annual Sustainability Report 2016/17 Introduction Contents 04 The University of Leeds in 2050 Annual Sustainability report 2016/17 06 Q&A with Dr Louise Ellis, Director of Sustainability POSITIVE 07 What’s in this report? 08 Theme – Embedding sustainability through collaboration CHANGE FOR Leading the way in innovative approaches to embedding sustainability across the University. 12 Theme – Building knowledge and capacity A SUSTAINABLE As a university, building the knowledge and capacity of our students and staff INNOVATIVE, and wider community is key to how FUTURE we become more sustainable. IMPACTFUL, 16 Living Lab Where ideas and collaboration thrive, INTELLIGENT We will become a university where where integration of sustainability enhances the value of the campus, student sustainability is truly embedded through education, research and innovation. The University of Leeds has once again proved 02 knowledge, engagement, collaboration and its commitment to a sustainable future through a 03 whole series of activities, innovations, research and innovation. Each and every one of our staff 20 Theme – Being a positive partner in society policies. There have been some challenges – political We have always been proud of our and students will understand the principles place in this city, and we’re continually uncertainties and a growing campus – but sustainability exploring opportunities to work with local has remained a key priority for us throughout. of sustainability – it will be an integral part of communities, organisations and partners. I am particularly proud of the fact that, through continuing 24 Theme – Making the most of resources our operations and will bring about positive, The University of Leeds is getting bigger. to integrate sustainability into our curriculum, we are sustainable change for the future. With these new developments comes graduating students who are responsible global citizens. the challenge of meeting our carbon, As a University, we have an important role to increase water and resource reduction targets. knowledge and opportunity for the benefit of society. Our graduates are testament to this; they understand global 28 Our performance challenges, and are eager to be part of the solutions. 32 What’s in store for 2017/18 I am looking forward to yet another year of challenging ourselves, and others, to be more sustainable. Another year of innovation, behaviour change, outstanding research and collaboration to ensure the University of Leeds plays a leading role in building a sustainable future. sustainability.leeds.ac.uk — Alan Langlands sustainability.leeds.ac.uk @UoL_Sus Vice Chancellor, University of Leeds /UoLSustainability @UoL_Sus sustainability.leeds.ac.uk The University of Leeds in 2050 WHAT DOES OUR VISION FOR A SUSTAINABLE UNIVERSITY ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE? Here we outline the characteristics we will have, the ways we will work, and the priorities we will focus on: Annual Sustainability report 2016/17 Our education is All of our excellent and is students know accessible to all. and understand We have an We will increase THE UNIVERSITY sustainability. open, accessible the recruitment and campus that is success of high quality interconnected students regardless OF LEEDS IN with the city. of background. Our campus is a test bed for We’re a new ideas and zero carbon, an exemplar zero waste of sustainable institution. design. 04 05 Our supply Sharing space, 2050 chain is sustainable equipment, skills Our Sustainability Strategy sets out the commitments we and we continuously and knowledge strive for further OUR VISION across the have made to 2020. But we know that a longer term vision improvement and institution is innovation. FOR A SUSTAINABLE is vital; a sustainable future for all requires a change in UNIVERSITY IN the norm. behaviour and a combined effort forever. 2050 That’s why we’re thinking way beyond As a result of this global outlook, we 2020 to our vision for a sustainable are also ensuring that our vision and Our research university in 2050. commitments contribute to the United addresses the Challenging the Nations’ Sustainability Development grand challenges Our vision has been created for the status quo and Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 goals to of sustainability University of Leeds by the University making a real end poverty, protect the planet and and is accessible difference are community. But we don’t exist in ensure prosperity for all. Throughout to all. the norm. isolation; we take a wider view of the report, we have linked the everything we do, from the effects on relevant UN SDGs to our four themes our local communities to the impact to demonstrate how our approach on the world. aligns with this wider set of global We are an commitments. equitable and We’re an open employer that inspiration in the creates opportunities city and our campus across the spectrum and culture are used of our activities. as a blueprint for other organisations to follow. All staff have sustainability.leeds.ac.uk the capacity and Partnership and knowledge to collaboration, make sustainable globally and decisions and locally, are at this is the norm. our heart. sustainability.leeds.ac.uk As a university, our core purpose is to increase in this report? What’s knowledge and opportunity for the betterment of society. To do this, we have made firm commitments to take our economic, social, environmental and Q&A cultural responsibilities seriously. Annual Sustainability report 2016/17 WITH Dr Louise Ellis — Director of Sustainability WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? Q Is sustainability at Leeds all about Q Targets have been missed in some areas, why is this? what happens on campus? Reflecting these commitments, our Annual A In our Sustainability Strategy we set ourselves Report is a total impact report – a more holistic A What happens on our campus is really important, but stretch commitments, which were always going to be sustainability isn’t just about what happens here. It’s appraisal of our social, environmental, economic challenging to meet. However, there are a number about our students, staff and visitors and how they I believe and cultural impacts. To demonstrate our of reasons why we have missed some of these. interact with what we’re doing, our initiatives and total value, our report is full of case studies, The physical changes we’ve seen on campus were completely research. It doesn’t stop when we step off campus. commitments, progress, facts and figures. not always known or accounted for in our initial in the Together these tell the story of the amazing We take our responsibility to our local communities targets, but it’s encouraging that sustainability has work we are doing to become an even more really seriously and we aim to have a positive been integrated into these. In some cases, the way need for a sustainable university. It’s by no means an impact beyond our campus. This can be an we collect data has changed, which has affected exhaustive record of all the initiatives and economic benefit through employment at the results. For example, we now measure carbon sustainable projects we’ve devised or been involved in, but University; environmental impact, such as the associated with our generating station as inputs society. it provides a great overview of what we’re up 06 way we travel and operate; and a social impact rather than outputs. It may seem like a small shift, to, how sustainability is embedded across the 07 through our programmes to bring equal educational but it generates higher – yet more honest – figures. We’re not University, and our ambitions for the future. opportunities to all. We see it very much as our there yet, civic duty to be an active partner within Leeds Critically, it’s an honest reflection of where Q How much can people make a difference? and we all we are. Across the University of Leeds, we’ve MATERIALITY – and we work closely with Leeds City Council and third sector organisations to do just that. Or is it all about technology? had some brilliant achievements and even have a part exceeded our own targets in some areas; but The themes set out in our Sustainability Sustainability addresses global challenges, and A Technology plays a huge part, but people we’ve also struggled to meet some of the stretch Strategy, and subsequent Annual Reports, their impact on the local level and beyond. That’s make a difference in all kinds of ways. From to play.” commitments we gave ourselves. This Annual reflect the economic, environmental, why it’s vital that we are an active member in the way we commute to the research topics we Report is a chance to both share our progress social and cultural impacts of the our local, national and global communities. choose, our approach to sustainability is about and take stock internally as to what we need to University of Leeds. Our targets and individual actions and community impact. You can discover prioritise in the future to become the leading commitments reflect the issues that we more about this Q What has been the biggest achievement this year? sustainable university we know we can be. know we can have a direct and indirect year’s report and impact upon – our material topics that A It’s not a single project or piece of research, Q Do you benchmark yourself against other universities? Once again, this year’s Annual Report is sustainability at have, or can create, a real difference. it’s the fact we’ve maintained the breadth and A We do look at the rest of our sector, and you can the University of structured under the four themes that we set depth of activity. It shows real commitment see how we’re doing on page 28 of this report! Leeds online: out in our Sustainability Strategy: Embedding Although some of these will have a financial that there are so many different aspects of It’s incredibly useful to see how we’re performing sustainability through collaboration; Building impact, our materiality goes beyond that to sustainability going on across the University, and against others in the same position, but it doesn’t sustainability.