News

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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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  ​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

  ​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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