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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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 ...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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 ...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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 ...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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 ...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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 ...
Read more →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...
Read more →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 ...
Read more →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 ...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →​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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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, ...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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....
Read more →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...
Read more →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 ...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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 ...
Read more →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 ...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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 ...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →DEFRA announced the speedy return of the Environment Bill to Parliament today (30th January) following the General Election. This, they say, underlines the government’s commitment to tackling climate change and to protecting and restoring our natural environment for future generations. They...
Read more →Students collect more than 900 tonnes of recycling as part of campus clean-up RecycleLeague competition engages over 39,000 students across 10 UK universities The University of Worcester named recycling champions winning £15,000 to invest in sustainability initiatives Students across 10 univ...
Read more →Organisations have demanded commitment from the UK Prime Minister to accelerate progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A group of organisations spearheaded by UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD), delivered a resolute brief to PM Boris Johnson this week. It outli...
Read more →The International Green Gown Awards, supported by UN Environment, recognise exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges around the globe and are now open for the 2020 Awards cycle. The Awards are the most prestigious recognition of sustainability best prac...
Read more →The UK is making significant steps in reducing its food waste, with total food waste levels falling by 480,000 tonnes between 2015 and 2018 – a 7% reduction per person and equivalent of filling London’s Royal Albert Hall ten times. The new data comes from sustainability not-for-pro...
Read more →Do you know someone with the interest and capacity to help the EAUC-Scotland team develop their support for sustainability in Scotland’s Universities? EAUC-Scotland are seeking a dedicated EAUC Member from the Higher Education Sector to join our Office Bearers Group (OBG), following the ste...
Read more →The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) wrote to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, after his General Election win at the end of 2019, urging him to prioritise action on Climate Change for 2020. Reminding the Prime Minister that the world will be looking to the UK as an example of best practice in ...
Read more →Following the success of the Conservative Party at the General Election, the Aldersgate Group urges the new Government to press ahead with a meaningful and ambitious climate and environmental agenda. Nick Molho, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group, said: "The Government’s policy deci...
Read more →We have partnered with Emerald Publishing and are now delighted to announce that the academic sessions which have been selected for the EAUC Annual Conference 2018 have been included in a special edition of the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. The papers published wh...
Read more →EAUC listens to its members and is a powerful voice within the wider sustainability sector Now at a time when EAUC has embarked on its most ambitious and significant initiative – the Climate Commission for UK Higher and Further Education Students and Leaders, it is our core objective to con...
Read more →The Russell Group, which represents 24 leading UK universities published a joint statement on Monday 9th December on environmental sustainability, setting out its commitment to tackling climate change through research, teaching and more sustainable practices. As home to world leading climate rese...
Read more →A pioneering roadmap to transform the UK’s food sector is being developed by UKSSD (of which EAUC are a member). Their new Food Systems programme brings together cross-sector organisations to work on fixing problems throughout the system. Building on the recommendation in their landmark rep...
Read more →The University Mental Health Charter was launched this week (Monday, 9th December 2019), co-created with staff and students from over 200 higher education organisations across the UK. It provides a set of principles of good practice that challenge universities to go beyond baseline requirements and ...
Read more →Learning for Sustainability Scotland and EAUC-Scotland have developed the College Learning for Sustainability Champions programme to help college teaching staff address sustainability in their learning and teaching. As part of the programme, one ‘Learning for Sustainability (LfS) Champion&rsqu...
Read more →Submit a workshop proposal for the EAUC Annual Conference - CLIMATE2020 taking place on 23 - 24 June 2020 at University of Bath! We have a responsibility as educators, as community pillars and hubs for research to proactively adapt, limit risks and seek solution to this catastrophic problem. In t...
Read more →Green Gown Awards celebrate initiatives that ensure a better tomorrow for young people As the Climate Crisis is increasingly recognised as the most pressing issue our world faces, the Green Gown Awards put a spotlight on the innovative and inspiring sustainability work taking place in universities ...
Read more →Today the Aldersgate Group publishes its manifesto report, Time for action: building a competitive and inclusive green economy, setting out key priorities for the new government following the General Election. The report – which received significant input from business and civil society organi...
Read more →UPDATE: READ MORE ABOUT THE LAUNCH EVENT HERE. Together with Association of Colleges, GuildHE and Universities UK, we have partnered to establish a Climate Commission for UK Higher and Further Education Leaders. EAUC is the initiator and secretariat of the Climate Commission and as a membersh...
Read more →The Environment Bill landed for its first reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 15th October. The first reading is a formal stage that takes place without any debate. The next step is a second reading in which MPs debate the overall principles of the Bill. The date for this has not yet been se...
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