News

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  Plastic deposit return scheme proposed and EA given more powers in fight against waste – 29th March 2018

  The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs have been busy this week. Yesterday they announced a deposit return scheme to increase recycling rates and reduce waste subject to consultation later this year and today new powers to stop waste crime have come into force. To tackle the blig...

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  Residential for aspiring estates directors in higher education – 29th March 2018

  27-30 June 2018 | University of Nottingham The Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) are launching a new programme to nurture emerging talent in higher education estates and facilities management. This residential programme for tomorrow’s senior estates professionals covers ...

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  The Fruit Route – 29th March 2018

  The Fruit Route project involves planting, foraging, distributing, sharing and harvesting fruit, nuts and edible plants that are located along footpaths and cycle paths across the university campus. The Fruit Route book is a celebration of the last 5 years of the project at Loughborough, the proj...

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  Scottish Institutions Secure Climate Challenge Fund Funding – 26th March 2018

  On 16th March 2018, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the award of £15.3 million for 110 community-led projects in the 24th round of grants from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund.   The Scottish Government Climate Challenge Fund encourages communities across Scotland to...

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  WWF's Earth Hour 2018 24th March – 19th March 2018

  Millions of people across the world will be switching off their lights for an hour from 8.30pm on Saturday 24th March to celebrate Earth Hour. Last year 9 million people took part in the UK alone, joining national landmarks like Big Ben, Manchester Old Trafford and the Kelpies in the big switch off....

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  2018 Young Champions of the Earth Call for Applications – 19th March 2018

  Do you want to change the world - or know someone who does? UN Environment is here to help. The Young Champions of the Earth initiative aims to celebrate and support individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 who have outstanding potential to create positive environmental impact.    They are lookin...

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  Uzbek and British students sharing in sustainability education – 19th March 2018

  The National Union of Students and the Environmental Association for Univeristies and Colleges (EAUC) were invited to Tashkent, Uzbekistan in January 2017 by the British Council in Uzbekistan to deliver training on sustainability in higher education. This training engaged rectors and pro-rectors ...

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  SDG student opinion research now available – 19th March 2018

  NUS have now collected opinion on issues related to goals 1 to 6 of the SDGS (poverty, hunger, health and wellbeing, education, gender equality and water), and the report is available online here. ...

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  Brighton Uni artist sailing to Arctic to highlight climate change – 15th March 2018

  An artist has won a place on an Arctic expedition which aims to highlight how human activity has influenced changes to the climate and environment.   Adele Gibson, 59, was awarded an MA in Fine Art at the University of Brighton earlier this year and took up the challenge "to witness these changes ...

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  Launch of College Education for Sustainable Development Workbooks – 14th March 2018

  EAUC-Scotland are delighted to be launching the last of our Workbooks to support colleges to embed sustainability within vocational courses at our Education for Sustainable Development Topic Support Network meeting on the 17th April in Edinburgh. Resources from this meeting are now available here. ...

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  Scottish Government publish New Climate Change Plan 2018-2032 – 13th March 2018

  The Scottish Government have published their new Climate Change Plan - The Third Report on Proposals and Policies (RPP3) - for 2018-2032. The plan, which is partnered with the Energy Strategy, is to be used as a roadmap for Scotland to transition to a low carbon economy, outlining how it will achiev...

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  Spring Statement promises big money for universities that help solve plastic blight – 13th March 2018

  The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, delivered his first Spring Statement today – promising a call for evidence on single use plastics and a downpayment of £20m to businesses and universities that think of solutions to the issue.   In his speech he praised ‘our world-class universities&rsqu...

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  Remain Within REACH, Says Environmental Policy Forum – 12th March 2018

  The effective regulation of chemicals is critical for the economy, public health, environmental protection, the economy and animal welfare and ending the UK’s involvement in the EU chemical framework REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) could have seriou...

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  WRAP's Make Toast Not Waste Campaign starts today! – 12th March 2018

  The next Love Food Hate Waste campaign  has started on and will be focus on bread – top of the list of the most wasted foods in the UK.  The 4-week  ‘Make Toast Not Waste’ campaign will be targeted at a) students & young people new to work (18-24 years) and young families (25-34...

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  Salix Accepting Applications for University Energy-Efficiency Project Financing – 12th March 2018

  Salix has interest-free financing for available for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in England. If you are in the position to apply before March, please contact Salix to discuss funding opportunities. Salix also welcomes early submissions and are happy to have discussions about pipeline projec...

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  Meliora International Symposium of Student Sustainability Research – 6th March 2018

  Meliora: International Symposium of Student Sustainability Research – 13 April 2018 – University of Southampton   Come and join us at the third annual ‘Meliora International Symposium of Student Sustainability Research’, held at the University of Southampton on 13 April 201...

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  AUDE Briefing Paper March 2018 – 6th March 2018

  The EAUC provide the AUDE Sustainability Group with an update on current and future activities taking place within the sector relating to sustainability and estates. Read the briefing paper here. ...

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  The UniCycle Challenge is here – 5th March 2018

  UniCycle is a collaboration between NUS Sustainability, Love to Ride and the EAUC to get more students and staff on bikes. Funded by the Department for Transport, the pilot year has seen eight universities delivering behaviour change interventions to help achieve the government's target of doubli...

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  How are NUS pilot Fairtrade universities and colleges are getting on? – 27th February 2018

  Last year, in partnership with the Fairtrade Foundation and with support from the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges, NUS launched a Fairtrade award for universities and colleges in 12 pilot institutions. Their research shows that the ethical standards of products matter to 8...

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  Portsmouth-led sustainable city project wins 1.6 million euro funding – 27th February 2018

  An international project, led by the University of Portsmouth’s Cluster for Sustainable Cities, has won 1.6 million euros to help cities solve the increasing challenges of food, water and energy management. Increasing demands for food, water and energy often exceed the capabilities of any o...

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  Sustainability Leadership Scorecard – 21st February 2018

  EAUC is delighted to confirm that, with the generous support from HEFCE, we are working with AUDE to further develop the Green Scorecard to cover sustainability issues beyond the estates function.   We are working very closely with AUDE, who lead on the Green Scorecard, and ARUP, who designed the...

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  Lincoln College set to save thousands thanks to green lighting upgrade – 20th February 2018

    For public sector organisations across the country, energy consumption is an important consideration as they look ahead to reduce their outgoing spend and minimise their environmental impact in an increasingly energy conscious environment. With this in mind, identifying affordable energy-reduc...

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  EAUC Featured in Environmental Scientist – 19th February 2018

  While University Living Labs are not unique to sustainability, those of us leading next generation sustainability for next generation learning unashamedly embrace their promise: applied learning and employability skills for students, problem-solving for campus managers, a rich and real-world learnin...

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  SSN Analysis Report - Scottish Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Reporting – 13th February 2018

  The Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) have published their 2016/2017 Analysis Report based on the annual submissions from the Public Bodies Climate Change Duties (PBCCD) reports, which were submitted for the deadline of 30 November 2017. The analysis report covers all 180 Scottish Public Bodies ...

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  University for the Creative Arts reduces carbon emissions by more than a third – 6th February 2018

  The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) has reduced its carbon footprint from energy consumption by more than a third since 2010, saving 2,286 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. The 37 percent reduction means that UCA has achieved its 2020 target emissions rate three years early, made possib...

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  University of Bristol and University of Edinburgh latest to announce fossil fuel divestment – 6th February 2018

  Two UK universities have joined the growing number of institutions that have committed to divesting from the fossil fuel industry. The University of Bristol announced last week it has divested all investments in companies that derive more than five per cent of their income from the most carbon in...

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  Environmental Audit Committee launches inquiry into 25-year Environment Plan – 5th February 2018

  Update Read our consultation response here.   The Government published its long-awaited 25-Year Plan for the Environment on 11 January 2018. The Plan sets out a number of 25-year goals and a combination of new and existing strategies, targets, mechanisms and commitments in order to meet those...

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  Climate solutions programme for EAUC members – 2nd February 2018

  Engage your students in cutting edge climate work by hosting a Drawdown INNOVATE workshop.  Deadline of March 8.  The climate solutions participants will tackle in these workshops have been meticulously researched and ranked by Project Drawdown, and have received international praise from Nationa...

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  A win for sustainability as it's added to NSS – 1st February 2018

  Following half a decade of lobbying from organisations and individuals, mostly spearheaded by the National Union of Students (NUS), the National Student Survey (NSS) will now include questions on sustainability. The NSS is a survey conducted by independent researchers Ipsos MORI, commissioned by ...

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  How do I set up a sustainability hub? – 1st February 2018

  Students and staff are invited to apply for an online course that rootAbility and Leuphana University Lüneburg are running for students and staff who want to establish a sustainability hub, based on the Green Office Model.   A Green Office (GO) informs, connects and supports students (and staff) t...

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  Salix College Energy Fund - Currently accepting applications – 1st February 2018

  Salix has further interest-free funding still available for Further Education Colleges in England. The funding is intended to act as a catalyst for investment in energy efficiency technologies which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create financial savings. If you are in the position to app...

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  PCBs on UK higher education providers' estates - do you need to take action? – 1st February 2018

  The Environment Agency is alerting UK higher education sector to the need to ensure any Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) on their estates are known and dealt with correctly.    The 2000 PCB Regulations place strict requirements and prohibitions on equipment containing them. PCBs may still be found ...

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  EAUC-Scotland sign open letter to Scottish Government calling for action on SDGs – 30th January 2018

  EAUC-Scotland has signed an open letter to Scottish Government bodies asking them to evidence their commitment to delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Scotland. The letter was issued by a national network co-ordinated by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), and is a...

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  ISCN and GULF Universities Share Best Practice Report at the World Economic Forum – 29th January 2018

  Sustainable Development: Educating with Purpose ISCN and GULF Universities Share Best Practice Report at the World Economic Forum At the World Economic Forum, the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) in collaboration with the Global University Leaders Forum (GULF) shared exemplary c...

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  Bournemouth University launches new health and wellbeing programme for all 2,000 employees – 25th January 2018

  Bournemouth University is rolling out its sustainability and wellbeing engagement programme to all of its employees this January. The new programme, known as Green Rewards, is launching to all 2,000 university staff as part of a drive to reduce carbon emissions and boost wellbeing at the universi...

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  Join the EAUC-Scotland Office Bearer Group! – 22nd January 2018

  EAUC-Scotland are seeking TWO dedicated EAUC Members from the Further Education sector in Scotland to join our Office Bearer Group (OBG).   The OBG consists of two representatives from the Further Education sector and two representatives from the Higher Education sector. The group meet approximate...

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  New report: University and College leaders recognise sustainability as priority but fail to deliver – 17th January 2018

  The Further and Higher Education sector is making a collective call to Vice Chancellors and Principals to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to sustainability and social responsibility.    Today marks the release of the third annual ‘Sustainability in Education’ report ...

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  Scotland's First Energy Strategy: The Future of Energy in Scotland – 16th January 2018

  The Scottish Government released their first Energy Strategy on 20 December 2017. The strategy focuses on Scotland by the year 2050 being a leading nation with a competitive energy sector delivering secure, affordable, clean energy options to Scottish businesses and communities.   The strategy is ...

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  Keele University and Siemens in landmark energy partnership – 15th January 2018

  Keele University has appointed engineering giant, Siemens, to turn the University campus into the largest single, integrated electricity, gas and heat Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND). It will be the first facility in Europe for at-scale living laboratory research, development and demonst...

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  Opportunity for Entrepreneurial Students and Graduates – 11th January 2018

  Join NACUE’s Student Enterprise Conference 17-18 Feb at #SEC2018  See what they got up to at #SEC2017 here. Check out this year’s amazing line up of speakers here including 3 outstanding TEDx speakers.  The full schedule is available online here.   Be part of it for just £25!  ...

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  Groundwork Youth recruiting young green leaders across the UK - applications open! – 5th January 2018

  Do you know a young person with an interest in their local environment looking to develop their leadership skills?   Groundwork Youth is a Groundwork UK initiative empowering young people and community groups to work together to tackle the issues affecting the places where they live. To achieve th...

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  Call for sustainability-orientated New Year's resolutions – 19th December 2017

  We want to inject a bit of fun into the wind down for Christmas by collecting some really good sustainability-orientated New Year’s resolutions that we can turn into graphics and suggest as simple changes for people to make in 2018 to help people, planet and prosperity.   Please send us your...

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  NUS SDG Teach In – 19th December 2017

  On the 19-23 February 2018 the NUS are holding their first ever "SDG Teach In" to raise awareness of why the Sustainable Development Goals should be at the heart of further and higher education, and help catalyse the change needed to make this happen. They are asking lecturers and teaching staff ...

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  EAUC calls for mandatory carbon reduction targets  – 12th December 2017

  Last week the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) submitted a response to the Government consultation 'Leading by example: cutting energy bills and carbon emissions in the public and higher education sectors'.  The response was informed by polling of our members, who re...

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  We now invite you to submit 2018 Annual Conference workshop proposals – 8th December 2017

  Share your ideas and good practice by submitting either a campus or academic workshop proposal! We’re currently in the planning stages for the 22nd EAUC Annual Conference on the 19 - 21 June 2018 at Keele University. Workshops/sessions will run on 20 - 21 June 2018 only. We invite abstra...

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  QAA Quality Code for Higher Education Consultation – 6th December 2017

  Sector response required EAUC are developing a sector response to the consultation on the review of the QAA Quality Code for Higher Education [https://www.qaa.ac.uk/newsroom/consultations/consultation-on-the-uk-quality-code-for-higher-education]. We believe more focus should be given to learne...

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  Honorary Fellowship of the Society for the Environment – 4th December 2017

  The Society for the Environment recognises Environmental Science Professor for "contributions of the highest level". University of the West of England (UWE) Professor, James Longhurst CEnv, joins an exclusive group of environmental professionals and advocates as an Honorary Fellow of the Society ...

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  University of East Anglia Commits £1m to lowering CO2 Emissions – 1st December 2017

  University of East Anglia (UEA) have committed to achieving a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020 and as part of this process have appointed leading energy firm Vital Energi to deliver a range of energy saving measures.   The £1million contract will see Vital Energi deliver a range of low and z...

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  Lincoln College Group making substantial saving through LED lighting upgrade – 1st December 2017

  The college group used £704,849 of Salix interest free funding to replace 7,000 inefficient light fittings throughout their estate, resulting in significant carbon and financial savings. The major lighting upgrades were carried out in 23 buildings across the College Group’s 3 campuses. In a...

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  University of Reading fume cupboard ventilation result in impressive carbon & financial savings – 1st December 2017

  The University of Reading identified fume cupboards that had been running 24/7 since they were installed, and by investing a total of £1,010,000, they undertook a programme of works to improve the efficiency of these fume cupboards. Funding for the project included £187,000 of interest-free Salix fu...

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