Sustainability is an ideal state where human activity does not degrade the environment, but maintains natural systems and resources for future generations.
Sustainable development is the process that moves us closer to sustainability.
Since the publication of the Stern Review by the Treasury (2006), which outlined the economic case for acting on climate change, the business case for sustainable development cannot have been clearer:
‘No-one can predict the consequences of climate change with complete certainty; but we now know enough to understand the risks. Mitigation - taking strong action to reduce emissions - must be viewed as an investment, a cost incurred now and in the coming few decades to avoid the risks of very severe consequences in the future. If these investments are made wisely, the costs will be manageable, and there will be a wide range of opportunities for growth and development along the way’.
For FE institutions as businesses, it makes sense to make the operations of buildings and estate more efficient, and to invest in carbon reduction. With the expectation that carbon emissions will be heavily taxed and capped and that energy prices will continue to rise in the future, it is important to start to take action sooner rather than later.
For FE institutions as educators, it makes sense to introduce sustainable development into the curriculum to provide learners with the knowledge, skills and values that are needed to mitigate the effects of climate change. Students in FE need to be aware of and understand issues around sustainability, which are already important in the workplace, but will increasingly be so in the future. Students with the skills and competences gained through education in sustainability will have increased employment prospects and greater potential for career progression. Additionally, colleges have an important role to play in supporting local businesses and the wider community in their journey towards a more sustainable way of living.
Understanding the “business case” for sustainability is vital to ensuring that programmes are sustainable in themselves. This will not only help to ensure projects are well supported from the senior team, but also make them more resilient if budgets are cut. Be prepared to express and demonstrate the benefits of initiatives with indicators such as cost savings, legal compliance, staff development, student involvement or positive marketing achieved. Being able to demonstrate achievements will also ensure it is possible to celebrate successes. Applying for awards is a great way to gain recognition and garner further support from colleagues, and in particular from senior leadership teams!
What makes sustainability particularly relevant for the Learning and Skills sector?
The new Sustainable Development Goals were agreed in September 2015 by the UN’s 193 Member States. The aim is to achieve 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. “The seventeen Sustainable Development Goals are our shared vision of humanity and a social contract between the world’s leaders and the people” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “They are a to-do list for people and planet, and a blueprint for success.”
Education plays a big part in achieving these goals, and the FE sector is in a pivotal role to contribute, having contact and communications with so many learners.
The Sustainable Development Goals would be a great resource to focus a cross-organisational learning day on.
Click on the Sustainable Development Goals image to see what they all are.
The project comprised design and build of an insulated aluminium rainscreen and window replacement to the seven storey Tamar Building.
This case study demonstrates how d+b facades insulated aluminium overcladding and replacement windows to two two-storey buildings with projecting bays to the upper floor.
This case study describes how d+b facades insulated aluminium rainscreen overcladding, single ply overlay roof and replacement windows to two interconnected multi-storey...
This case study describes how d+b facades comprised the design and build of an insulated aluminium rainscreen and replacement windows.
A case study of the work d+b facades carried out on Blackpool & The Fylde College to repair, restraint and stabilise existing external buildings.
The case study describes how d+b facades designed and built insulated aluminium rainscreens, window replacement and insulated roofing at Bedford College.
A case study of when the College asked EMSc to demonstrate why the Powerstar voltage optimisation should be chosen to help improve their energy efficiency.
When Motherwell College came to specify the flooring for its new £70 million Ravenscraig building it turned to Building Design Partnership to create a stunning sustainable scheme
GreenCow GreenCow is a world-class, innovative facility designed to support world-leading research programmes to combat climate change. It measures GHG emissions in ruminants...
Since its formation in 2009, Walsall Adult and Community College (WACC) has embedded sustainability into Leadership and Governance, Estates, Teaching and Learning and...
Derbyshire Eco Centre is the county hub for education for sustainable development (ESD). It is at the heart of Derbyshire County Council's (DCC's) drive to combat...
The Food Hub at Broomfield Hall is a project which has been developed to encourage local people to buy local food, and to get involved in producing their own food.
A demonstration of ‘stakeholder engagement’ illustrating how South Thames College is forging alliances with low carbon community organisations, trades unions and...
Lewisham College Trade Union Studies Department and the construction union UCATT were founding members of the Green Skills Partnership for London (GSPL).
The results of a EAUC CaSPr State of the Campus Survey which was sent to those responsible for Estates Management Statistics (EMS) and eMandate returns in each University and...
The guide is designed to provide an overall strategy for water conservation through various stages of planning and using a building within colleges.
The guide is designed to provide an overall strategy to include energy efficiency through various stages of planning and using a building.
Job description for a Health, Safety and Sustainable Development Manager at Bridgend College, covering a range of responsibilities, including environmental and sustainability tasks
South Lanarkshire College’s low-energy house is a practical project...
In October 2010 Northern Ireland’s South Eastern Regional College (SERC) opened a brand new Environmental Skills Centre on its refurbished and extended Ards Campus.
New College Stamford (NCS) recently established an Environmental and Sustainability strategy with high emphasis placed on social responsibility.
Confronted with the rising cost – both financial &environmental – of conventional fuel, Blackpool & The Fylde College has driven its sustainable transport using waste...
Case studies from the winner and highly commended for the Colleges category from the 06/07 Green Gown Awards
The Carbon Management Plan commits the College to a target of reducing CO2 by 25% by 2015 & underpins potential financial savings to the institution of £58553 per year by...
This is a job description and person specification for the role of Environmental and Sustainability Manager at Cambridge Regional College, created in October 2010.
This is a job description and person specification for the role of Environmental and Sustainability Manager at Aberdeen College, created in April 2010.
Here are template documents from Wiltshire College, to support to 2012 Annual Conference workshop, "The road to excellent operations is paved with internal environmental...
Exploration session from EAUC 2011 Conference of the Love Food, Haste Waste campaign and how it works in communities and has engaged the FHE sector
A link to the Elmwood Campus page on the SRUC website, this is a great example of the working EMS in the sector.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight see why Loughborough College has been praised for ‘ticking every possible good agenda'.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how South Lanarkshire College adopted a philosophy to do things differently with a strong focus on sustainable practices.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Sheffield College is one of the city's greenest major developments to date.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College is implementing sustainability into their buildings through student engagement.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see Wigan & Leigh College's focus on waste, ESD, energy and travel.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Warwickshire College have holistically embedded sustainability throughout the college.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Walsall Adult and Community College are putting to policy into practice an embedding sustainability.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight see Leicester College's strategic commitment to sustainable development.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Cambridge Regional College are leading the way in environmental sustainability achieving a top environmental accreditation.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how City College Plymouth has made a difference to its approach to Sustainability over the last 10 years.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Coleg Gwent has made a pledge to embed sustainable development as a core principle of the college.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight see how City College Norwich segregates waste on site, in an unconventional, significant cost saving way.
Milton Keynes College operating procedures for cycle lockers. This will be useful for those looking to install lockers to aid a sustainable transport strategy.
Here is a presentation that was used to present sustainability issues to the Governors of Wakefield College.
Sustainability and Environmental Policy from South Staffordshire College.
City College Plymouth took a bold new step in erecting two wind turbines on the roof of their innovation centre.
A report from Somerset College which saw them complete a first assessment of a wide range of environmental indicators.
Am example of a staff newsletter sharing sustainability news
Lauder College has built a unique construction workshop (ECOspace) and training centre for educating students in environmental best practice for the construction industry.
Keble College is one of the largest of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford with 410 undergraduate and 235 graduate students. It was the wish of the founders in...
Recycling and sustainability within rural further and higher education institutions can be difficult without the support and advice that is more readily available to those...
A case study of Elmwood College which used the golf course and farm as living/working educational resources to increase environmental awareness.
A case study from City and Islington College, which donates its old computers to developing countries via the charity Computer Aid.
This case study explores how the Wheeltop Project of Beaumont College uses ICT to support the learning and development of physically disabled students.
When City of Bristol College encountered a growing number of servers with the related power and cooling requirements, it looked at virtualisation mainly for server...
Sustainable ICT in Further and Higher Education, a JISC report, provides useful information on good practice in environmentally sustainable ICT
Elmwood College has adopted an innovative approach for meeting the requirements of the ISO14001 Environmental Management Standard. It uses curriculum as a mechanism for...
A case study looking at City College Norwich who in December 2009 launched a five-year Strategy which contained an objective of developing 21st century environments that are...
Link to the HiPerBuild programme which takes forward HEEPI's decade long work on more sustainable buildings in universities and colleges.
EAUC Member, Wiltshire College, is a large General Further Education College in the South West region. It has a commitment to Sustainable Development and has been working to...
Schneider Electric has undertaken a pioneering project with the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester to improve the college’s overall energy performance.
This pack from the Land Based Colleges National Consortium comes in 3 parts.