News | Sustainability Exchange

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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, ...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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....

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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 ...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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 ...

Read more →

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 ...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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 ...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

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...

Read more →

Environment Bill and food waste funding updates from Government – 30th January 2020

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 →

The University of Worcester named recycling champions – 30th January 2020

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 demand action from PM on SDGs – 30th January 2020

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 →

2020 International Green Gown Awards Open – 28th January 2020

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 →

C2025 Milestone Progress Report - WRAP – 24th January 2020

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 →

EAUC-S Office Bearers Group seek University Rep – 16th January 2020

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 →

CCC urges UK to prioritise Climate Change action in 2020 – 6th January 2020

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 →

General Election: now or never for the environment and climate change – 17th December 2019

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 →

Academic papers launched – 13th December 2019

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 members – 12th December 2019

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 →

We welcome Russell Group's support on the sustainability agenda – 10th December 2019

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 →

University of Suffolk joins fight to fix unsustainable food system – 10th December 2019

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 →

University Mental Health Charter launched – 10th December 2019

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 Champions Training Opportunity – 6th December 2019

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 your workshop proposal for CLIMATE 2020 – 6th December 2019

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 2019 – 26th November 2019

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 →

Next government must deliver on climate and the environment – 21st November 2019

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 →

EAUC announces launch of new Climate Commission – 21st October 2019

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 - progress and loopholes – 17th October 2019

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...

Read more →

Boosting sustainability and wellbeing – 16th October 2019

It has been a record-breaking year for the higher education sector with 238,000 positive actions recorded across Jump’s university programmes. Jump is the leading supplier of sustainability and wellbeing engagement programmes in the UK, providing universities with the means to turn intent i...

Read more →

Discover Teach the Future – 16th October 2019

SOS, NUS’s new sustainability charity, and UKSCN, the school strikers organisation, have launched a new campaign to repurpose the entire education system, from primary through to adult education, around the climate emergency and ecological crisis. You can read more about the six demands on the...

Read more →

Government outlines review of education emissions reduction targets – 15th October 2019

The UK government has responded to the reports from the Committee for Climate Change (CCC) today. The government acknowledged the CCC’s point that the UK is on track to miss current required projections for the fourth and fifth carbon budgets (2023-32). They responded to this by stating &ls...

Read more →

The Environment Bill - what are we looking for? – 15th October 2019

DEFRA will today present the finalised Environment Bill to Parliament, following on from its announcement in the Queen’s Speech yesterday. You can read the Government’s press release about it below. EAUC will be looking to see if the finalised Bill contains solutions to the concerns outl...

Read more →

Environmenstrual week highlights sanitary plastic issue – 14th October 2019

The second annual Environmenstrual Week is being held 12th-19th October, and is highlighting the issues that period plastic has on the environment, human health and period justice. Organised by Wen (Women’s Environmental Network), the initiative advocates #PeriodAction, by leading a revolut...

Read more →

New report outlines behaviour change needed for Net Zero – 14th October 2019

Imperial College London published a new report last week titled ‘Behaviour change, public engagement and Net Zero’. The report outlines the potential for people to make choices that can contribute to reducing emissions. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) appointed Imperial College ...

Read more →

Implementing the SDGs at Higher Education Institutions Challenges and Responses – 10th October 2019

The second meeting of the GUNi Group of Experts on SDGs and Higher Education and presentation of its last publication was celebrated on the 3rd and 4th of October 2019 and gathered over 85 people at the Ateneu Barcelonès in Barcelona. This publication focuses on the obstacles that Higher Educa...

Read more →

Enter the EAUC Annual Conference 2020 Climate Image Competition – 8th October 2019

We are inviting students from a visual arts background or who have a hobby in this direction to join EAUC's Annual Conference 2020 Climate Image Competition. This is a great opportunity for students to have their work exposed on a variety of media platforms, enrich their portfolio and contribute t...

Read more →

Â£50m green energy net zero deal from UK universities – 7th October 2019

The Energy Consortium (TEC) has established for twenty pioneering universities including Newcastle, Exeter and Aberystwyth; a UK first – an aggregated power purchase agreement (PPA) delivering renewable power. This ground breaking deal means the parties lock-in a proportion of their power at a...

Read more →

Advice for students - how to become food savvy at uni – 7th October 2019

Starting uni? We all know you need your pots and pans, and a few key recipes to keep you well fed. But what about some savvy habits to protect the planet? Well, you can start with reducing what food you waste – if everyone in the UK did this, we could do as much good for the environment as tak...

Read more →

â€‹Climate Crisis is the Mega Challenge and Opportunity facing the Education Sector – 2nd October 2019

Climate change was the clear mega trend UK universities and colleges need to better recognise - so say judges of the 2019 Green Gown Awards. A judging alumni of over 90 national and international judges – a who’s who of leading names from the education, business and sustainability wor...

Read more →

University of Warwick Climate Emergency Declaration – 30th September 2019

Recognising that the next ten years will be crucial to limit global temperature rise the University of Warwick has declared a state of Climate Emergency on 20th September 2019. Commitments: We have a responsibility as a community and organisation to help combat climate change through our indi...

Read more →

Adapting to a Changing Climate - New Resources Launched – 30th September 2019

EAUC and HEBCoN (the Higher Education Business Continuity Network) are delighted to launch a new set of guides and resources on Adapting universities and colleges to a changing climate: Making the case and taking action. Climate change is not only a risk in itself to operational, teaching and res...

Read more →

University of Winchester declares climate emergency – 24th September 2019

The University of Winchester declared a climate emergency last Friday, 20th September, to coincide with the Global Climate Strikes. "We have declared a climate emergency as future generations face a significantly different world," said Professor Joy Carter CBE, DL, Vice-Chancellor of the Universi...

Read more →

University of St Andrews signs SDG Accord and commits to slashing carbon footprint – 24th September 2019

The University of St Andrews has made huge strides in its sustainability work this month. Principal and Vice-Chancellor Sally Mapstone has signed the SDG Accord, and the institution has embarked on a £3.75m energy conservation overhaul to reduce its carbon footprint by 950 tonnes a year and save £65...

Read more →

UKSSD publishes Scorecard of UK Voluntary National Review – 23rd September 2019

UKSSD’s SDG Scorecard was published last week, it assesses the UK Voluntary National Review (VNR) based on UN Voluntary Reporting guidelines and best practice. EAUC fed into this work through its membership with UKSSD. Although there are positive signs of progress, of the eleven areas consi...

Read more →

EAUC calls on universities and colleges to let staff and students strike – 19th September 2019

In advance of the Global Climate Strike on Friday, 20th September, EAUC are calling on its members in the higher and further education sector to support the strikes and sign the Global Climate Letter. Iain Patton, CEO at EAUC, said: "As the alliance for sustainability leadership in education, the...

Read more →

University of Leeds commits to bold climate crisis action – 17th September 2019

The University of Leeds has fully divested from significant fossil fuel extractors and has set out seven bold principles it will adopt to help tackle the climate crisis. The principles have been approved by the University’s governing body, its Council, and outline the ambitious steps the Un...

Read more →

Scottish Circular Economy Bill much needed – 5th September 2019

A cross-sectoral coalition of organisations has been launched, calling for an ambitious and comprehensive Circular Economy Bill. The coalition of over 30 organisations is led by Scottish Environment LINK and includes Friends of the Earth Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Marine Conservation Soci...

Read more →

EAUC calls on universities and colleges to support local authorities – 3rd September 2019

This week, lawyers from ClientEarth are putting 100 local authorities across England on notice, warning them that they will violate their legal obligations and risk legal challenge if they do not introduce proper climate change plans. EAUC is calling on universities to lobby their local authoriti...

Read more →

University of Sussex declares climate emergency – 21st August 2019

The University of Sussex has joined organisations around the world in declaring a climate emergency with Vice-Chancellor Adam Tickell stating that "unless the higher education sector works together to address the problem at every possible juncture, we will be failing the young people who turn to us ...

Read more →

Goldsmiths pledges action on climate emergency – 14th August 2019

Beef burgers and bottled water will be consigned to history on the Goldsmiths, University of London campus from the start of the new academic year next month. The changes come as part of a major drive to cut carbon use across Goldsmiths as the College joins other universities and institutions in ...

Read more →

Christ Church Declares Climate Emergency – 12th August 2019

Around 7,000 other networks of higher and further education institutions from across six continents have signed a letter to take action against the growing threat of climate change. The letter, organised by EAUC - The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education, which includes a three-po...

Read more →

Earth Overshoot Day - what can institutions do? – 29th July 2019

Today is Earth Overshoot Day – Today marks the date when humanity’s annual demand on nature exceeds what Earth’s ecosystems can regenerate in that year according to Global Footprint Network, an international sustainability organisation that has pioneered the Ecological Footprint. T...

Read more →

EAUC Board Member Eunice Simmons appointed Vice Chancellor at University of Chester – 25th July 2019

EAUC board member Eunice Simmons has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of University of Chester from January 2020. Professor Simmons is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), where she leads the Academic and Student Affairs directorate, encompassing the student j...

Read more →

Gove gives update on Environment Bill and plastics consultations – 23rd July 2019

Michael Gove has today (Tuesday 23 July) provided an update on progress towards the introduction of the landmark Environment Bill. In the online summer policy update, it says: "Faced with the unprecedented decline of our natural environment, science clearly shows that tackling biodiversity loss, cl...

Read more →

'If not now, when?' - Government urged to step up action against climate and environmental – 16th July 2019

EAUC CEO Iain Patton has signed a letter urging the next Prime Minister to push for a bigger and faster political response on the climate and environmental crises. The letter was sent to Conservative Party leader contenders Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, as well as the two Liberal Democrat party...

Read more →

Governments Voluntary National Review casts doubt on its commitment to the SDGs – 16th July 2019

The International Development Committee (IDC) has identified serious failings in the preparation and presentation of UK’s first Voluntary National Review of progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. You can read the full report here. The UK VNR is being presented at the...

Read more →

University of Plymouth declares a climate emergency – 10th July 2019

The University of Plymouth has declared a climate emergency, joining an international movement aimed at taking action on climate change. The move, supporting a call by EAUC – The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education, reaffirms the University’s position as a global leade...

Read more →

Higher and Further Education Institutions across the globe declare Climate Emergency – 10th July 2019

New York, 10 July 2019 - Today, networks representing more than 7,000 higher and further education institutions from 6 continents announced that they are declaring a Climate Emergency, and agreed to undertake a three-point plan to address the crisis through their work with students. The three-poi...

Read more →

SDG Accord Report 2019 – 9th July 2019

A new SDG report finds student Climate Change protests are pushing Climate Action up the agenda of universities and colleges across the world. The second SDG Accord report, ‘Progress towards the Global Goals in the University and College sector’, is being launched today (Wednesday, 10...

Read more →

EAUC Scotland Conference Launch – 8th July 2019

We are very excited to announce that the EAUC-Scotland Conference 2019 will take place at The Lighthouse in Glasgow on Tuesday 26th November 2019. The theme will be the Elephants in the Room. This topic builds on our last conference where we set visions and actions for the decade ahead - view the...

Read more →

Influence! 2019 - A conference to remember – 7th July 2019

This year, the EAUC 23rd Annual Conference was held at the University of Manchester on the 18th-20th June. Its theme, ‘Influence’, comes at a time when sustainability issues are increasingly at the forefront of mainstream media, following scientific research publications outlining immine...

Read more →

Green Gown Awards UK & Ireland 2019 Finalists – 4th July 2019

We are proud to announce this year's Green Gown Awards UK & Ireland Finalists. After a tough judging session, the applicants have been whittled down to 101 finalists across 14 categories. This year’s UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards’ Finalists, representing over 1 million students ...

Read more →

â€˜Trash fishâ€™, gluten free rooms and shared accommodation found by TUCO at Californiaâ€™s top uni – 3rd July 2019

Following a successful USA study tour, members of The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO) are set to implement a series of global learnings into UK universities. The TUCO ‘Residence Life at California’s Top Universities’ study tour was organised by the award-winning TUCO Acade...

Read more →

Scottish Government launch Vision 2030 Plus Action Plan – 27th June 2019

A new Learning for Sustainability Action Plan sets out how the Scottish Government will implement the recommendations of the Vision 2030+ Report over the next 3-5 years. The Action Plan ‘aims to act as a catalyst to support the increased prevalence of Learning for Sustainability’ f...

Read more →

UKâ€™s Voluntary National Review of the Sustainable Development Goals – 27th June 2019

The UK’s Voluntary National Review of the Sustainable Development Goals has been published, and features an assessment of how well the UK has done so far in tackling the Sustainable Development Goals. The Goals are part of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. All Unit...

Read more →

Share your views on the merits of accreditation programs for sustainability – 27th June 2019

Some institutions choose to join programs such as EcoCampus to provide a level of recognition for their sustainability work. This student survey is being used for a dissertation project to capture what motivates some to take this route – and as interestingly, why others do not. Members of...

Read more →

Sustainability Leadership Scorecard Report – 26th June 2019

Sustainability: our sector’s current best chance of responding to the urgent demands of climate science – new report A cross-sector partnership advocating for a more urgent and more co-ordinated approach to sustainability in our universities and colleges is today reporting on the fir...

Read more →

Scientists show how discarded cola bottles can create purified drinking water – 25th June 2019

Contaminated water can be purified for drinking using just three empty plastic bottles thanks to new research by Nottingham Trent University. A project led by Professor Amin Al-Habaibeh – an expert in intelligent engineering systems - will allow people in developing countries to clean dirt...

Read more →

How do people feel about sustainability? – 13th June 2019

The Survey We want to find out how people are feeling about sustainability, both as a wider subject, and in relation to their personal lives. So we’ve brought out a survey that asks children, young people, and adults what they think. We ask that you please take the time to fill out this sur...

Read more →

EAUC signs world-leading government pledge to help halve food waste – 13th June 2019

EAUC, alongside big-hitters from the world of food and sustainability including Aldi, Asda, Café Nero, Co-op, Costa, FDF, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Starbucks, Tesco, M&S, Morrisons, Nestlé, Ocado, UK Hospitality, Unilever, WWF and Waitrose have signed a pledge committing to help halve food waste by 2...

Read more →

New funding for local climate change projects announced – 12th June 2019

Funding of up to £75,000 to support local climate action in the UK has been announced by the Place-Based Climate Action Network (PCAN). Proposals are invited for the first round of the PCAN Fund, backed by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which will support up to six projects wort...

Read more →