Staff and students at the University of Gloucestershire are making waves in sustainability and pioneering for change – and we’re excited to share them in our latest Annual Sustainability Report 2020-2021.
Sharing performance metrics and celebrating some of our many fantastic achievements, across all aspects of sustainability in the life of our University, this is the fifth report against the University’s Sustainability Strategy 2017-2022.
It shares our positive sustainability impact through learning, research and partnerships, and our ongoing work to reduce the negative impacts of running our University.
Ten things you should know from this report
1. We’re going Net Zero on carbon emissions by 2030 – we released our strategy setting out our ambitious plans to achieve this against all three emissions scopes. Read more on page 7.
2. Our research is having significant real-world sustainability outcomes – 6 of our 26 selected Impact Case Studies submitted to the UK’s Research Excellence Framework were chosen for this reason. Read about them on pages 8-9.
3. We won a prestigious International Green Gown Award in the Next Generation Learning and Skills category for education researchers. Read more on page 15.
4. We won a range of other coveted awards too – including Gold and Silver Heist awards for excellence in education marketing for the ‘Who Cares? We Do’ campaign. Read more on page 5.
5. We secured a £1.2m grant to replace gas boilers with air source heat pumps – once complete, this will significantly reduce our annual carbon emissions. Watch our news page for updates.
6. Students led a carbon analysis initiative at Download Festival as part of wider work to help shape a greener future for UK music festivals. Read more on page 12.
7. Our Countryside and Community Research Institute, CCRI, secured over £1.2m income for research geared to sustainability. Read more about the work this will support on pages 14-15.
8. As a UN Regional Centre of Expertise in sustainability education, we collaborated with partners and networks to deliver impactful projects and share our expertise. Read more on pages 16-17.
9. We’ve maintained key accreditations, including ISO 14001, Fairtrade, Red Tractor and Marine Stewardship Council. Read more on pages 23, 24 and 29.
10. Our work is playing a critical role and having impact against 12 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Find out how on pages 26-27.
It gives me great pleasure to share our Annual Sustainability Report for 2020-2021 and to celebrate our achievements and performance improvements this past year.
One of the most pressing issues we all face is the need to make deeper carbon emissions reductions, in response to accelerating climate change. We have now developed and released a Carbon Net Zero Strategy with targets to reach by 2030.
But we remain committed to expanding our collective brainprint in sustainability, not just reducing our operational footprint. This report underlines the continued dedication of our academic community to leading that change through our education and research.
At this time of transition and despite the challenges of the pandemic, I commend our staff, students and partners for their inspiration and contributions to securing a better collective future for all.
%
↓ carbon emissions (against 2005 baseline)
%
↓ waste (against 2010 baseline)
%
waste diverted from landfill
%
↑ waste recycled (against 2010 baseline)
%
↑ water consumed (against 2010 baseline)
- Target met – we need to keep it up
- Target in sight – we are nearly there
- Target not met – we need to do better
Read the full PDF report
Read the online accessible report
We’re always happy to hear feedback on our report – please email sustainability@glos.ac.uk