News | Sustainability Exchange

Launch of the SECR Tool exclusively for FE Members – 11th May 2021

Following on the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) recommendation that colleges in England should submit their carbon reporting through the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR), we are now delighted to bring to EAUC FE members a SECR tool developed in partnership with Hillside Envir...

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Results Announced: THE University Impact Rankings 2021 – 21st April 2021

Times Higher Education (THE) released today (21 April 2021) the third edition of the University Impact Rankings which uses metrics based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) measuring institutions’ social and economic impact. We are thrilled to see that The Univ...

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EAUC-Scotland Annual Report – 21st April 2021

EAUC-Scotland are pleased to launch their annual report for 2020/21. This was the first year of a 3 year programme entitled: Accelerating action and leadership in Scotland’s universities and colleges in order to respond to the Climate Emergency, In a challenging year EAUC-Scotland has had r...

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Universities and Colleges join the Race to Zero ahead of COP26 – 13th April 2021

What is Race to Zero? Race To Zero is a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth. Led by the High-Leve...

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Seeking New Trustees - Join our Board 2021 – 13th April 2021

The EAUC Board is made up of 12 volunteer Trustees and Director with experience in the Further or Higher Education sector. Two long-standing Trustees reach the end of their tenure at the June 2021 AGM and so we will have TWO available Trustee positions. At the March meeting of the Board’s ...

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Green Jobs for Youth – 1st April 2021

New initiative - Global Guidance for Education on Green Jobs: Connecting Higher Education and Green Opportunities for Planetary Health from UNEP's Youth and Education Alliance is designed to increase demand for green jobs in the workforce and help create a stronger supply of necessary green and envi...

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COP26 Universities Network - March Briefing – 1st April 2021

Net zero emissions targets have gained traction in the global effort to halt climate change. This new briefing from the COP26 Universities Network sets out the science behind net zero targets and the considerations that policymakers and industry leaders should take when adopting and implementing suc...

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New guidance on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) – 1st April 2021

The launch of new guidance on Education for Sustainable Development in higher education, jointly published by QAA and Advance HE is intended to help UK higher education institutions to incorporate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within their curricula. The guidance comes at a time of ...

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King's College London fully divests from fossil fuels – 1st April 2021

King’s College London has fully divested from all fossil fuels almost two years ahead of schedule. Since making a commitment to a full divestment target in 2017, King's College London have steadily reduced the exposure to fossil fuels from 7.3 per cent in 2017 to zero in 2021. Professor Ev...

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Green Gown Award Winners Announced – 24th March 2021

Green Gown Awards Celebrate Initiatives Playing Leading Roles in Addressing Climate Action In the first ever virtual ceremony, held on Wednesday 24th march 2021, the Green Gown Awards celebrated the inspirational work and projects of 74 Finalists in 12 different categories - showing the importanc...

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Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy - Summary – 19th March 2021

Following the publication of the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy on Wednesday 17 March, we welcome the summary of key announcements prepared by our partners Aldersgate Group. The Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy offers a positive direction and comprehensive take on the measures that need ...

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Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Update – 17th March 2021

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme have released the grant recipients of Phase 1 of the Scheme. A total of £33,312,689 has been awarded to the further and higher education sector. This is 4% of the total fund awarded of £932,248,184. Details of Phase 2 have been announced with a further £75...

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Nearly three quarters of teachers lack training on climate change – 17th March 2021

New research by Teach the Future, which EAUC is glad to be supporting, has revealed that 70% of UK teachers have not received adequate training to educate students on climate change, its implications for the environment and societies around the world, and how these implications can be addressed.*1 ...

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EAUC is supporting the 2021 ENACTUS UK National Expo – 9th March 2021

On the 12th – 14th April, 65 Enactus teams from across the UK will participate in the Enactus UK National Expo, which will be held virtually. Enactus believe that investing in students who take entrepreneurial action for others creates a better world for us all. Enactus develops university ...

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EAUC attended the Environmental Audit Committee inquiry into Green Jobs – 3rd March 2021

On 3rd March (2021), Iain Patton, CEO at EAUC was invited alongside representatives from Education and Training Foundation (ETF), Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK), Leicester City Council and Greener Jobs Alliance to look at how green jobs can help tackle the expected rise in unemploym...

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Kickstart Scheme Placements Update – 18th February 2021

EAUC, Change Agents UK (CAUK) and SOS-UK are working together to support the Further and Higher Education sector create new and exciting fully-funded 6-month paid positions for 16-24 year old's this year through the government's Kickstart scheme. We are glad confirm that we can now accept new plac...

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HE Climate Action Toolkit launched – 4th February 2021

Climate Commission launch Climate Action Toolkit to help Vice-Chancellors, Governors and Senior Leadership Teams in universities in tackling the climate emergency The Climate Commission for Higher and Further Education Students and Leaders is delighted to announce the launch of the Higher Educati...

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What an online Go Green Week can look like? – 29th January 2021

While no formal date and theme on what Go Green Week should focus on have not been announced yet, we know that some EAUC members have plans to hold a series of virtual events either in line with Go Green Week or alternatives of it. Based on members' plans and other events taking place this year, we ...

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Universities and Colleges consider carbon offsetting in move to net-zero – 26th January 2021

How can Carbon Offsetting help UK Further and Higher Education Institutions achieve net-zero emissions? The EAUC and the COP26 Universities Network are pleased to launch the new guidance on offsetting to support the development of further and higher education offsetting policies. The COP26 U...

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Revised Scope 3 tool launched – 19th January 2021

We are pleased to announce that the Scope 3 emissions tool for the education sector - called the HESCET Tool - has been updated and is now available for use via your HEPA account. We encourage all member institutions to use the tool and look at the updated figures for input into the EMR (Estate Mana...

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Launch of the Global Goals Teach In Campaign – 15th January 2021

The fourth annual Global Goals Teach In has launched and will take place 22nd February – 5th March 2021! The annual campaign calls on educators to pledge to include the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs) in their teaching and learning throughout the two weeks. The 2020 camp...

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New EMR report and statement from AUDE and partners – 6th January 2021

AUDE has released it's Higher Education Estates Management Report 2020 and a statement alongside other key organisations on the necessity of the EMR data. This report represents the hard facts and accurate data for big choices in estates management and future investment. By bench marking institu...

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Global SDG Accord report paints promising picture of SDGs – 11th December 2020

The SDG Accord Report 2020, endorsed by UN Environment, paints a promising picture of the embedding of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in universities and colleges across the world, despite the global pandemic. The findings from the third SDG Accord annual progress report show awarene...

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Higher education in the era of climate change – 10th December 2020

New report urges universities to have zero carbon emissions by 2035 and to rethink knowledge and teaching practices for the era of climate change The Higher Education Policy Institute (https://www.hepi.ac.uk) has published a new report, Beyond business as usual: Higher education in the era of cli...

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Sustainability Leadership Scorecard Annual Report 2020 – 10th December 2020

Universities and colleges picking up the pace on sustainability, but must address curriculum reform More universities and colleges than ever from across the UK and Ireland have shown their commitment to sustainability over the last year. The 2020 Sustainability Leadership Scorecard Annual Report...

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EAUC Members reflect on the impact of Covid19 – 8th December 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic caused unprecedented challenges for the entire world and the Further & Higher education sector was not spared the mayhem of disruption. We at EAUC wanted to better understand how the pandemic impacted the sustainability community and how we can better support members during ...

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â€‹Disappointment at misguided Ofsted comments – 8th December 2020

Last week, at the launch of Ofsted’s 2019-2020 annual report, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman, said: "And increasingly we see efforts to commandeer schools and the curriculum in support of worthy social issues and campaigns. In the last year, many of these calls have been about...

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UK sets new climate target ahead of UN Summit – 4th December 2020

The Prime Minister has today (Friday 4 December) announced a new ambitious target to reduce the UK’s emissions by at least 68% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. This is an increase of 15% from the previous target of 53%, and is in line with the recommendations made by the Climate Change Commit...

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Sustainability Ambition in Education Week – 1st December 2020

It’s coming to the end of a tumultuous year and never has it never been clearer that we need to address the global challenges the world faces, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, justice and of course, health and well-being. So at the end of 2020...

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University of Glasgow sets 2030 carbon neutral target – 30th November 2020

The University of Glasgow has pledged to go ‘further and faster’ in its response to the climate emergency with a raft of new commitments, including a target for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The ambitious aim is one of a series of actions set out in a new strategy appro...

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Become a net-zero college by using the FE Climate Action Roadmap – 26th November 2020

What can colleges do to tackle climate change? The recent plan to reach net-zero emissions unveiled by PM Boris Johnson last week comes as a confirmation that many colleges are leading the way. The FE Climate Action Roadmap for FE Colleges provides colleges with practical steps they can take in f...

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Aston University named Guardian's University of the Year – 26th November 2020

Aston University has been crowned university of the year in the Guardian’s annual awards for its work eradicating the gap in grades between black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students and their white peers, as well as its emphasis on sustainability. In a year during which UK universiti...

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Finnish universities commit to 12 principles of Sustainable Development – 24th November 2020

Carbon neutrality by 2030, sustainable development at the heart of strategies, and strong support for the Finnish Government’s climate and biodiversity goals. All of the above is included in the plans of Finnish universities through 12 mutual principles on sustainable development and respo...

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Global Climate Conference - Day 5: Wild times and nature-based solutions – 23rd November 2020

It was the final day of the conference today, and what a week it has been! We have been amazed and inspired by the range of plenaries and workshops from across the globe that we have been privileged to facilitate. Over the course of the week, we have seen over 1000 attendees from 18 countries (in...

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Global Climate Conference - Day 4: Net Zero and Global Research – 20th November 2020

Today was the penultimate day of the extraordinary five-day conference ‘Global Climate 2020’, and there was no sign of let up, with four plenary sessions and the live launch of Mock COP26. The morning started with the sustainability topic on everyone’s lips this year; the r...

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UK PM outlines 10-point plan for green industrial revolution – 19th November 2020

The Prime Minister has set out his ten point plan for a green industrial revolution this week, which Government predicts will create and support up to 250,000 British jobs. The plan – which is part of the PM’s mission to level up across the country - will mobilise £12 billion of go...

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Global Climate Conference - Day 3: Student engagement and climate justice – 18th November 2020

Another day of thought-provoking content at the week long EAUC virtual conference Global Climate 2020. The morning plenary started with an in-depth look at student engagement on sustainability issues and the power this has for transformation within institutions. Liliia Akatova, a student at ...

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Global Climate Conference - Day 2: The roles of community and the economy – 17th November 2020

Day 2 of the EAUC virtual conference ‘Global Climate’ was a continued success with a really strong international flavour to the day. The first plenary saw Magda Núñez, a student at USIL (Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola) in Peru, chair a session based on local climate and communit...

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Invitation for Tender - Sustainability Leadership Scorecard – 17th November 2020

The Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) and the EAUC - the alliance for sustainability leadership in education, are inviting tenders for the supply of the Sustainability Leadership Scorecard (SLS) tool, associated services and consultancy. See further details attached. Intereste...

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Global Climate Conference - Day 1: Hope and Solutions – 16th November 2020

The EAUC Global Climate Conference in Education started today, with over 1000 delegates enjoying the huge range of workshops and inspiring global plenary speakers. This year, students were offered the opportunity to attend for free, a hugely positive step to make sure they are getting a say ...

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Government infrastructure policy isn't fit for net zero, says report – 12th November 2020

The UK’s National Infrastructure Strategy is due to be published very soon which will set the UK’s priorities and provide visibility for investors. But significant shortfalls in the government’s approach to infrastructure policy and investment risk holding back efforts to shift the...

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New student marketplace tackles waste on campus – 11th November 2020

Third year economics student Harriet Noy is determined to tackle single-use plastic and waste on university campuses. The entrepreneurial University of Birmingham student has launched a zero-waste student marketplace called Hazaar. Harriet is in the process of creating a tailored app to run this...

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The Climate Commission - One Year On – 10th November 2020

Thursday 5th November (2020) marked one year since the launch of The Climate Commission for UK Further and Higher Education Students and Leaders – the cross organisational initiative led by the Association of Colleges, EAUC (Secretariat), GuildHE and Universities UK. The event attended by...

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New reports on role of universities in levelling up agenda – 5th November 2020

The UPP Foundation has released two reports on the role of universities in the ‘levelling up’ agenda, and on addressing the forthcoming employment crisis Key findings of the two reports (‘Levelling Up Towns Report’ and ‘Covid-19 Jobs Report’) : The Governm...

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Courtauld Commitment provides annual progress update – 5th November 2020

A new report released this week is demonstrating good progress being made in the food sector in the UK across all three Courtauld Commitment targets – food waste, carbon and water – in a challenging year for food and drink. The Courtauld Commitments are a series of voluntary agreement...

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University of Strathclyde celebrate 15,000 sustainability actions – 5th November 2020

The University of Strathclyde is paving the way for sustainable institutions with a programme that has engaged thousands of students and staff to take positive actions. Since launching in 2019, Sustainable Strathclyde’s Jump programme has avoided nearly 16,000kg C02 emissions with program...

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University of Edinburgh sustainable lab scheme cuts plastic waste and costs – 28th October 2020

A new approach could reduce plastic waste in a laboratory by more than 500kg a year and result in considerable savings, scientists at the Roslin Institute at University of Edinburgh found. A scheme based on plastic reduction and reuse has resulted in savings of more than £400 over a three-month ...

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New EAUC-Scotland Office Bearer Group Vacancies – 28th October 2020

Are you is interested in helping the EAUC-Scotland team develop their support for sustainability in Scotland’s Universities and Colleges? Do you know someone who might be? EAUC-Scotland are seeking two dedicated EAUC Members, one from the Higher Education Sector and one from the Further E...

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LSE launches ambitious plan to embed environmental sustainability across its operations – 21st October 2020

Share your Sustainability Commitments LSE has today (21 October) launched its plan to tackle the climate crisis and announced it will be the first UK university to become carbon neutral, for all the emissions it currently measures. This status will be achieved through ongoing work by the Sch...

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Skills deficit needs to be urgently tackled to get to net zero – 15th October 2020

In its latest briefing out today, 'Upskilling the UK workforce for the 21st century', the Aldersgate Group calls for urgent action to plug the deficit in skills that currently undermines the growth of low carbon supply chains across the UK economy. The Group calls in particular for a new low carbon ...

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NTU study shows air quality danger for cyclists on busy roads – 15th October 2020

Cyclists are right to wear face masks to protect against pollution and bus passengers and pedestrians should consider them too, new research by Nottingham Trent University shows. A study led by Professor Amin Al-Habaibeh found that cyclists, pedestrians and bus passengers are the most exposed to...

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EAUC launches Future Graduate Skills Study – 15th October 2020

New EAUC and Change Agents UK Future Graduate Skills Study examined what ‘sustainability skills’ are, which of those are important for employability prospects, and how they could be best instilled in students and young people. This piece of research is particularly relevant as it comes ...

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2020 Green Gown Award Finalists Announced – 12th October 2020

We are proud to announce this year's Green Gown Awards UK & Ireland Finalists, in association with UKRI After a tough judging session, the applicants have been whittled down to 74 Finalists across 12 categories. This year’s UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards’ Finalists, representing ...

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SUEZ lifts the lid on trends in student recycling – 5th October 2020

SUEZ recycling and recovery UK’s Lifting the Lid Higher report published today (28 September 2020) offers unique insight into trends in student recycling habits, showing steady progress with opportunities to raise future performance and encourage greater sustainability throughout the higher ed...

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New Centre for Sustainability launched at University of Strathclyde – 5th October 2020

The University of Strathclyde has launched a new Centre for Sustainable Development in support of the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new Centre, launched on 1st October, brings together all of the University’s education, research and knowledge exchange...

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New Aldersgate Report calls for urgent policy decisions regarding net zero emissions – 5th October 2020

Following extensive cross-industry and civil society engagement, the Aldersgate Group launched a new report today, Monday 5 October, setting out some of the key policy decisions that need to be taken in this parliamentary term to put the UK on a credible pathway to building a competitive, net zero e...

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Salix announces the launch of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme – 2nd October 2020

Salix Finance to deliver Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) £1 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to tackle carbon emissions The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has launched a £1bn Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme as part of the Cha...

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Cambridge to divest from fossil fuels with "net zero" plan – 1st October 2020

University plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2038. We welcome The University of Cambridge's aims to divest from all direct and indirect investments in fossil fuels by 2030 as part of the University’s plan to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2038, more than a decade...

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Kickstart for Sustainability in Tertiary Education – 24th September 2020

â€‹Change Agents UK and SOS-UK, supported by the EAUC, offer a supported Kickstart scheme designed for colleges and universities. The Government Kickstart Scheme will fund hundreds of thousands of high quality 6 month work placements for young people deemed to be at risk of long term unemployment...

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Discussions for UNESCO'S Futures of Education – 15th September 2020

Education plays a key role in climate action. Current and future leaders, and communities in general, need education to understand the complex moving parts of climate crisis, whose consequences offer a myriad of social and environmental challenges. Fortunately, efforts are underway to reform educati...

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The Little Book of Nudges Launched – 1st September 2020

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) today (1st September 2020) launched a new publication, "The Little Book of Green Nudges", which aims to inspire up to 200 million students around the globe to adopt environmentally friendly habits and greener lifestyles. The book is UNEP’s first on behavi...

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New legally binding targets for Environment Bill announced – 19th August 2020

The Government has today (19th August) announced plans for new legally binding targets within the Environment Bill. They have outlined that there will be at least one long-term target in four priority areas to drive significant and lasting environmental improvements: cleaner air, cleaner water, l...

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Vision for the future of colleges launched by Independent Commission – 22nd July 2020

EAUC welcomes the Independent Commission on the College of the Future newly launched vision for the future of colleges across the UK: a new bold and ambitious strategic remit for colleges to empower people with opportunities for lifelong learning and support, to boost productivity, and to strengthen...

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Rebuilding to last: UK must not go back to the old normal – 15th July 2020

The Aldersgate Group launched a new report, Rebuilding to Last - commissioned from James Rydge and Dimitri Zenghelis at the Grantham Research Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science. This report provides one of the most in-depth economic analyses to date on the current economic s...

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Two new board members elected during EAUC AGM – 9th July 2020

Last week, EAUC held its annual AGM virtually, and it was a great success! If you missed it, you can find a video recording and other documentation including the AGM presentation, 2019 Annual Report and Summary, and other AGM papers here. We were delighted to announce the election of two new b...

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International Green Gown Awards Winners – 8th July 2020

Announcing the 2020 International Green Gown Awards Winners The winners of the 2020 International Green Gown Awards were announced on 8th July 2020 in an online bilingual ceremony hosted by Sonya Peres, Climate Commission Officer from EAUC and Carina Mutschele, Youth & Education from United Natio...

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The Time is Now – 8th July 2020

EAUC's CEO Iain Patton outlines civic principles for universities and colleges emerging from the lock-down to ensure they are better prepared for the Climate Crisis: While we recognise the misery and hardship that the pandemic has caused for many people, we also recognise that the recovery from t...

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Climate Commission: A clear and feasible path to climate action for UK colleges – 3rd July 2020

The Climate Commission for Higher and Further Education Students and Leaders is delighted to announce the launch of the Climate Action Roadmap for Further Education Colleges today. Produced in partnership with award-winning management consultancy, Nous Group, the Roadmap outlines clear, feasible...

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Retrofit all education buildings to net-zero – 30th June 2020

Today’s commitment made by the government to invest over £1bn into a ten-year school rebuilding programme has been welcomed by the students who have been calling for educational building retrofit to form a key part of the economic recovery from Covid-19. On 11 May 2020, Zamzam Ibrahim (NUS Pre...

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Covid-19 recovery must drive net zero progress – 24th June 2020

An overwhelming majority of Climate Assembly UK members say Government, employers and others should support changes to the economy and lifestyles which help achieve the UK’s net zero emissions target. The interim briefing from the assembly, Covid-19, recovery and the path to net zero, offe...

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Leaders call on Prime Minister to create socially just and green recovery from Covid-19 – 9th June 2020

Richard Curtis CBE, Paul Polman, Michael Izza and leaders of more than 100 renowned companies, charities, universities, and trade associations call on the UK Government to ensure the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are at the heart of UK Covid-19 recovery plans The Sustainable Dev...

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Race to Zero launch – 5th June 2020

Today is World Environment Day which sees the official launch of Race to Zero, the global COP26 campaign, which EAUC through the work of the Global Climate Letter is endorsing. The campaign aims to mobilize leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a Healthy, Resilient, ...

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New dates agreed for COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference – 29th May 2020

The Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), with the UK and its Italian partners, announced on Thursday 28th May the new dates for the COP26 UN climate conference, which will now take place between 1 and 12 November 2021 in Glasg...

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Latest EMR data released – 14th May 2020

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) has released the latest Estates Management Record (EMR) today (Thursday, 14th May). These environment statistics are some of the most useful and telling when it comes to assessing where the Higher Education sector is with sustainable development and e...

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A net-zero emissions economic recovery from COVID-19 – 5th May 2020

As the world emerges from the crisis of COVID-19, governments will introduce recovery packages to boost economic growth, including in the UK. These will have a highly significant impact on the UK’s future prosperity, including its potential to meet its legally mandated net-zero emissions oblig...

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Oxford University announces fossil fuel divestment – 4th May 2020

University of Oxford has announced landmark plans to divest formally from the fossil fuel industry. As well as divesting its endowment from fossil fuel companies, the University has also asked its endowment office, Oxford University Endowment Management (OUem) to engage with fund man...

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Times Higher release SDG rankings – 23rd April 2020

SDG rankings – who, what, when, where, why? Times Higher Education (THE) released their Global Impact rankings on Wednesday, 22nd April, timed well with Earth Day. This is the second year of reporting for these relatively new rankings, and the findings are always interesting for the sector....

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University of Nottingham crowned ENACTUS UK 2020 National Champion – 17th April 2020

On the 6th and 7th April, the top 27 Enactus teams of Next Generation Leaders from Universities across the UK competed virtually in the 2020 Enactus UK National Expo. The dynamic, energy-filled online event brought together virtually over 1,000 university students, academics, and senior UK busin...

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Plastics ban in England delayed – 17th April 2020

The Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Agriculture (DEFRA) have announced the plastics ban on straws, stirrers, and ear buds will not take place this month. The ban was due to come in at the end of April, but has now been pushed back until October due to the coronavirus pandemic. A ...

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Net zero and nature-based intervention - new advice released – 16th April 2020

The Natural Capital Committee (NCC) has released advice on using nature-based interventions to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The NCC advises the government on natural capital, such as forests, rivers, minerals and oceans. Set up in 2012, with a brief hiatus in 2015, the Committ...

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Seeking New Trustees - Join our Board – 14th April 2020

We have TWO available trustee positions for election ahead of our 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM). Only Educational Members can apply. This year we’re looking for motivated and dynamic Trustees and are seeking applications that are: Sustainability Professional / Practitioner Fro...

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Ministers urged to remember Climate Crisis commitments – 8th April 2020

With COP26 postponed until 2021, the extra time gives the UK an opportunity to deliver greater success in the talks, says the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) Chair Philip Dunne. However, they warn that it is vital the delay does not lead to the climate crisis slipping down the list of priorities...

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Government announces COP26 postponed due to COVID-19 – 2nd April 2020

The COP26 UN climate change conference set to take place in Glasgow in November has been postponed due to COVID-19. This decision has been taken by representatives of the COP Bureau of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), with the UK and its Italian partners. Dates ...

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100% Green Lab accreditation at the University of Bristol – 1st April 2020

The University of Bristol has a strong track record of sustainability action and became the first university to declare a 'Climate Emergency' in April. With sustainability high on the agenda, there is increasing pressure to demonstrate our commitment to reducing the university’s environmental ...

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EAUC-Scotland Funding Renewed by SFC! – 31st March 2020

Funding confirmed to accelerate response to climate emergency We are pleased to announce that EAUC’s bid for funding for the next phase of its work has been approved by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). We will deliver our new outcome agreement ‘Accelerating action and leadership in...

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2020 Green Gown Awards Applications Deadline Extended – 31st March 2020

We appreciate these are unprecedented times and we have carefully considered the options for this year’s Green Gown Awards ahead of launching our call for applications. Upon reflection, we believe that institutions should still have the chance to be recognised for their excellent efforts an...

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EAUC Update and response to COVID-19 – 18th March 2020

Across the world, the situation surrounding COVID-19 is moving rapidly and the pandemic is also at the top of the Further and Higher Education sector’s agenda where it is likely to stay for some time. Despite the social and economic disturbance caused, we often see reports on how the planet ha...

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New EAUC-Scotland Resources to Support the Sector in Addressing Business Air Travel – 12th March 2020

On March 12th, 2020, EAUC-Scotland is releasing the Travel Better Package to support universities and colleges in addressing business air travel to reduce carbon emissions and the environmental impact from flying. The package has been developed with funding and support from the University of Edinbur...

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New EU Circular Economy Action Plan launched – 12th March 2020

Yesterday, the European Commission adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan - one of the main building blocks of the European Green Deal, Europe's new agenda for sustainable growth. With measures along the entire life cycle of products, the new Action Plan aims to make the EU economy fit for a ...

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Circular Economy essential to fight against plastic – 10th March 2020

In response to public pressure, the government is tackling plastic pollution by addressing individual uses of plastic, like some plastic bags and microbeads. While bans on items likely to damage the environment are necessary, this approach completely fails to deal with the root of the problem and, w...

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Chancellor announces tampon tax scrapped – 10th March 2020

The Chancellor has today announced in the first Budget of 2020, among other measures, that the tampon tax has been scrapped. This is overdue, and we would like for institutions to take this opportunity to renew efforts in the fight against Period Poverty and ensure they are providing free sanitar...

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COP26 President discusses priorities – 9th March 2020

COP26 president Alok Sharma gave his first speech in post to the UN last week. He outlined his priority actions areas for COP26 and 2020. Adaptation and resilience. ‘Helping people, economies and the environment adapt and prepare for the impacts of climate change.’ Nature. ‘S...

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Nottingham Trent University records 63,000 positive sustainability and wellbeing actions – 5th March 2020

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has completed over 63,000 positive actions as the University celebrates a successful first year of Green Rewards. Since the launch of the Green Rewards programme in January 2019, NTU has avoided over 80 tonnes of CO2 emissions, completed 90,000 miles of active tr...

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New OfS paper shows move towards sustainability – 25th February 2020

Since HEFCE was disbanded in 2018 and replaced by the Office for Students (OfS), there has been a gap in formal policy oversight and regulation for the Higher Education sector on sustainability and emissions reduction. In particular, EAUC has been a vocal opponent of the decision to remove the manda...

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English Climate Emergency Education Bill launched – 24th February 2020

On Wednesday 26 February 2020, fifty students will be entering parliament on a mission to engage MPs and Peers in the need to repurpose the education system around the climate emergency and ecological crisis. The group, who are mostly under 18, ranging from 13-26, created the Teach the Future ca...

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Cabinet reshuffle and COP26 president (re)announced – 17th February 2020

There were big changes in Westminster last week – and you would be forgiven for finding it hard to keep up. Many of the ministers replaced had only been in post for 6 months, after Boris’ reshuffle in July last year. While the biggest news of the day was Sajid Javid’s resignatio...

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EAUC backs Teach the Future campaign – 6th February 2020

EAUC has announced its support for the SOS-UK and UKSCN campaign ‘Teach the Future’ which calls for the whole education system to be repurposed around the climate emergency and ecological crisis. Already active in this field, EAUC has added its voice to the call for an education revol...

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Apply to pilot the Charter Award Scheme at your university – 4th February 2020

The UK Healthy Universities Network has been working closely with Student Minds as they lead the development of the University Mental Health Charter. Student Minds has opened a call for three universities to pilot and test out the first stage of the Charter Award Scheme, a voluntary scheme to su...

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Sustainable Strathclyde release new Guidelines for Climate Change Communication – 3rd February 2020

Through collaborating with a series of academic experts, environmental organisations and communications specialists, Sustainable Strathclyde have released a set of six guidelines which aim to inspire more effective communication of climate change in the Scottish environmental sector. In May 201...

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Deadline to submit your Sustainability Leadership Scorecard data – 30th January 2020

Sustainability Leadership Scorecard Report 2020 – Submit your data by Friday 28th February Undoubtedly, the multi-dimensioned thing we call sustainability can be confusing, not to mention the ever-increasing performance improvement tools, quality standards and reporting accreditation, wh...

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