News

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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 ...

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  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 ...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  '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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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 ...

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  ‘Trash fish’, gluten free rooms and shared accommodation found by TUCO at California’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...

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  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...

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  UK’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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  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...

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  Key leadership skills that advance the career of sustainability professionals – 12th June 2019

  A new cohort of sustainability professionals have developed skills and knowledge they need to deliver change in their organisations through the Emerging Leaders Programme 2018 - 2019 that was concluded this month. The five day sessions provided the chance for delegates to share experiences and ex...

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  Climate Change Letter: Raising a flag for the Climate Emergency – 10th June 2019

  In advance of the Secretary General’s Climate Summit on September 23, networks and institutions working in further and higher education are coming together to add their support to this letter and raise the flag of concern around the "climate emergency" which is being raised by the school strik...

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  Announcing the 2019 International Green Gown Awards Finalists – 31st May 2019

  We are delighted to reveal the finalists of the 2019 International Green Gown Awards. The winners will be announced on 10th July 2019 in New York as part of the United Nations High Level Political Forum. Find out more about the Awards Ceremony. The International Green Gown Awards are endorsed ...

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  EAUC Pledge to Step Up To The Plate – 30th May 2019

  In May 2019 Ben Elliot, the Government’s Food Surplus and Waste Champion hosted a major symposium - ‘Step up to the Plate’ - at London’s prestigious V&A Museum.  Major players from the worlds of food retail and hospitality, along with social media influencers and well-known c...

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  World Environment Day 2019 – 30th May 2019

  For this year’s World Environment Day, UN Environment will be calling on everyone, everywhere to come together to Beat Air Pollution, which is now the biggest public health crisis on the planet. We want to work with our partners in education and youth to take this message into the classroom...

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  Step-by-step Guide for Sustainability Leaders – 29th May 2019

  We released today the Making the Business Case for Sustainability - A Guide for Sustainability Leaders. This Guide is designed to help sustainability leaders to make a successful case for sustainability in a Further and Higher Education context, to embed sustainability at the top of their organisati...

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  EMR data shows a fall in carbon emissions in HE, but more commitment needed – 13th May 2019

  Environmental statistics (EMR data) released last week revealed an 8% fall in carbon emissions by HE providers despite a 4% increase in energy consumption.   In 2017/18 HE providers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland consumed 6.7 Terawatt hours of energy, compared to 6.5 Terawatt hours in 2016...

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  Bridgend College declares its commitment to address the climate emergency – 2nd May 2019

  Following both the UK and Welsh Government’s declaration of a climate change emergency, Bridgend College is reaffirming its strong and positive corporate commitment to take action on climate change, to become the first College in the UK to declare a climate emergency. This statement has bee...

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  Phase out greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to end UK contribution to global warming – 2nd May 2019

  The UK can end its contribution to global warming within 30 years by setting an ambitious new target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) says today. Ten years after the Climate Change Act became law, now is the right moment to set a more a...

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  Government must seize business opportunity presented by net zero target – 2nd May 2019

  Welcoming the publication of the Committee on Climate Change’s advice today [1], the Aldersgate Group urges the government to press ahead with setting a net zero target. This must be underpinned by a comprehensive policy package to deliver net zero emissions and support business investment and...

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  EAUC is launching the Living Lab Guide – 1st May 2019

  There is no such thing as one-size-fits-all approach in tertiary education. At EAUC we recognise these particularities and have partnered with National Union of Students - NUS, to develop a Guide that highlights different approaches to learning and research through partnership working – some...

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  EAUC Declares a Climate Emergency – 1st May 2019

  EAUC are today declaring a Climate Emergency We are calling for all post-16 education institutions and support bodies in the UK and Ireland to declare a Climate Emergency and to commit to the Committee on Climate Change’s recommendation to adopt as a minimum a 2050 net zero emissions target...

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  ‘Put climate change on our curriculum': The outraged teens confronting Ofsted – 30th April 2019

  We are four 15-year-old school students who are deeply concerned about the damage we’re doing to our planet and how it will affect our futures. Climate change is the biggest issue of our time, and it must be a part of our education if our generation is to understand it and help us to combat...

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  Newcastle University second to declare a climate emergency in UK – 30th April 2019

  Newcastle University has signalled its commitment to climate change action by joining a number of organisations in the UK and all over the world to declare a climate emergency. Following Newcastle University’s Environment and Sustainability Committee meeting on 10 April, the University has ...

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  Sun in the oven! A solar cooker for INSIDE the home – 25th April 2019

  A solar cooker that heats food by concentrating the sun’s rays can be used inside the home thanks to new research by Nottingham Trent University.   The project aims to allow people in hot, arid countries with sun all year round to cook indoors without the need for gas, electricity or burning...

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  University of Bristol declares a climate emergency – 17th April 2019

  The University of Bristol is joining with other organisations and institutions across the country and the world to become the first UK university to declare a climate emergency, reaffirming our strong and positive commitment to take action on climate change. Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-...

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  Oxford University donates computers to IT Schools Africa to enable quality education for students – 15th April 2019

  Oxford University donated obsolete, working IT equipment to IT Schools Africa for sustainable reuse to help provide increased access to e-Learning technology for African students. This will offer life enhancing knowledge and skills, access to further education and improved employment opportunities. ...

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  NERC invests £1.3M to engage the UK public on big issues in environmental science – 15th April 2019

  An innovative project that will see researchers collaborate with diverse communities on issues in environmental science has been awarded £1.3M through NERC’s Engaging Environments programme. The award is NERC’s largest single investment in public engagement, with project partners pledgin...

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  Inspire Fund - Public Engagement Funding – 15th April 2019

  A new public engagement funding scheme part of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s work to tackle misconceptions around dementia and promote the importance of dementia research is now available. This is to support new perspectives, talent and expertise to shed a spotlight on this important issue, ...

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  University of Nottingham crowned Enactus UK 2019 national champion – 15th April 2019

  On the 8th and 9th April, the top 32 Enactus teams from across the UK competed in the 2019 Enactus UK National Expo at the ExCeL, London. The dynamic, energy-filled event brought together 650 university students, 70 academics, and over 300 senior UK business leaders across two days in celebration...

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