Environmental SustainabilityUpdate Report 2013/2014

Rochelle Martin, a second year student from Business and Law is one of only 23 participants from around the globe who travelled to Brazil’s rainforest in July to attend the Amazon Summer School on Sustainability, a globally-renowned programme. She was the only UK student selected to attend the programme following a world-wide application process.

Student success through sustainability

Northumbrian Water has announced a partnership with the University to fund a sustainability research programme. The £60,000 programme will enable a PhD student to carry out research on how organisations can work in partnership to leave a lasting positive impact on the community and environment. This research will develop the practice of embedding sustainability further by exploring best practice and how it can be entrenched fully throughout an organisation’s structure. It will focus on leadership and management development, through to the role of individuals and relationships with stakeholders.

AWARDS/RECOGNITION

Welcome

I am pleased to introduce our very first Environmental Sustainability Update Report which shows how the University is addressing key sustainability issues.

The University recognises the positive impacts of good environmental sustainability in the areas of carbon, waste and travel management, and the University will continue to set targets for improvement in these areas. However, sustainability should inform our teaching, research and learning, as well as the way in which the University goes about its business operations of campus management and community engagement.

This publication shows successes in overall sustainability, with our students being recognised as skilled participants in addressing sustainability for both the University and an external audience.

Our plan is to make significant improvements in environmental sustainability, supporting the Corporate Strategy 2013-2018.

The Sustainability Management Group, represents all areas of the University, and will play a key part, as will the continued efforts of our staff and students in helping Northumbria become a more sustainable university.

Chris Reilly

Chief Operating Officer with executive responsibility for environmental sustainability.

The University has an annual water bill of around £430,000 and consumes 154,000m³ of water - 14,000m³ of which is rainwater. The use of this water has a carbon footprint that is equivalent to travelling nearly 550,000 miles by train. Source: Rutland County council

After 2 years of participation and success for both Faculties and Services achieving bronze awards under the Green Impact project, the University was delighted that two areas were presented with a silver award last year.

On the back of this success: Engineering and Environment and Campus Services are now aiming for the gold award by the end of 2014. Green Impact is an environmental improvement project that the University delivers in partnership with the National Union of Students.

For more information on this please visit: www.greenimpact.org.uk

Green Impact

The University was recently awarded bronze accreditation status for its efforts in travel planning through Go Smarter.

All staff were surveyed on how they travelled to the University to determine a detailed understanding of all forms of travel, ensuring that Go Smarter can tailor sustainable travel solutions for staff. Benefits for staff and students include free weekly cycle mechanics on campus, cycle riding training, and cycle maintenance classes. The University are on track to be awarded silver accreditation in 2014 and will make an application for gold accreditation in early 2015.

Awards

Green LeagueIn the 2013 People and Planet Green League the University climbed 16 places to 85th seeing a rise up the table for the 3rd consecutive year .

The league is the only comprehensive and independent league table of UK universities ranked by environmental and ethical performance. Northumbria scores particularly well in areas such as staff and student engagement and waste management.

League Year Rank

2011 107

2012 101

2013 85

For more information on this please visit: peopleandplanet.org/greenleague

The Combined Heat and Power Unit in Sport Central generates electricity and heat in a less carbon intensive manner than systems that use electricity from the National Grid; reducing annual CO₂ emissions by 300,000 kg.

300,000 kg of CO₂ emissions is the equivalent to the average annual greenhouse gas emissions from 63 cars. Source: Carbon Footprint 360

The University spends £3.1 million on electricity annually which produces 13,653 tonnes CO₂.

This is equivalent to flying 73,000,000 miles by aeroplane. Source: Rutland County Council

Green Travel

PERFORMANCE

Northumbria University is once again partnering in an electrical vehicle trial until July 2015.

The Switch EV Trial run by Future Transport Systems aims to assess the performance of the electric vehicle via telematics equipment attached to the car, as well as analysing the experience of the vehicle from University staff that drive it, via an online questionnaire.

For more information on this please visit: switchev.co.uk

Trial vehicle at CCE charging point

In partnership with Recyke Y’Bike - providing affordable, roadworthy sustainable transport

Student cycle hireStudent cycle hire was launched in September 2014

Aimed at students who wish to travel sustainably but do not want to own a bicycle or bring their own bicylce to the University.

The scheme is ran in partnership with local charity Recyke y’bike.

For more information on this charity please visit: recyke-y-bike.org

Food standardsThe University ensures that our Friday food menu includes fish which is Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified.

The MSC has developed standards for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability.

Both standards meet the world’s toughest best practice guidelines and are helping to transform global seafood markets.

For more information on this please visit: mscaccredited.com

Waste Northumbria University has achieved the status of being landfill free.

This has been achieved by successfully implementing its Waste Management Policy as well as investing in improved recycling facilities across campus in the newly refurbished classrooms.

Over the last 5 years, Northumbria University has worked closely with O’Brien Waste Recycling Solutions to ensure that all of the waste produced onsite is recycled, re-used or turned into energy.

Since the start of 2014 the University has sent waste cooking oil from its catering outlets to Bidvest 3663 where it is recycled by a specialist waste-to-energy company into environmentally friendly bio-diesel.

The diesel is then used sustainably to fuel the vehicle fleet that carries out food deliveries to the University and other customers. So far 2,089 litres of waste cooking oil has been collected from Northumbria University – resulting in a carbon emission saving of 4,740 kg.

For more information please visit: 3663.co.uk/waste-oil-recycling

Recycling of cooking oil

The University has reduced its carbon emissions by 1,000 kg annually, by replacing its catering vending machines with the most environmentally efficient machines in the world.Source: MAAS

100% of the University’s general waste is re-used, recycled or used to create energy.

Carbon and Energy ManagementInvestment in new technologies such as combined heat and power, solar hot water and photovoltaics have seen a reduction in annual carbon emissions.

With continued expansion of the estate and increased demand on building opening hours it is necessary to review the University’s current Carbon Management Plan (published in 2010) to reflect the revised estate and make investments in carbon reduction technologies. The University is working with specialist carbon reduction advisers RICARDO AEA to develop a strategic plan to reduce current carbon emissions

over the next 5-10 year period.

By using a new energy monitoring software system the University is on track to realise its most accurate energy-based carbon footprint in 2014/15, per building. Real time analysis of data over a 24 hour period, set against determined benchmarks, now allows for identifying wasted energy and supports preventing this from happening again.

The Real Time Online dashboard showing consumption and carbon emissions will be available to staff and students by November 2014 for the majority of buildings.

(see draft illustration below)

Sustainability TeamThe University’s sustainability team has increased to three members of staff, which now includes:

Tim Hall Sustainability Manager Overall responsibility for environmental sustainability

0191 243 7068 tim.hall@northumbria.ac.uk

Chris Stewart Energy Adviser Responsible for energy monitoring and profiling

0191 243 7339 chris.stewart@northumbria.ac.uk

Lorna Johnson Sustainability Assistant Responsible for Eco Campus environmental management system

0191 227 4396

lorna2.johnson@northumbria.ac.uk

Thanks from our local branch of a National charity

The University more than doubled the number of halls of residence involved in recycling unwanted goods; students were encouraged to donate unwanted goods to the British Heart Foundation.

In 2013 there were 128 bags of unwanted items donated by students which generated £2,560 for the charity. This year the University improved upon this by collecting 277 bags across the halls of residencies which will generate an even greater income for the charity by being sold in their local shops.

“We’ve been delighted with the response from Northumbria University students and their overwhelming support. Each BHF shop needs to receive 400 bags of unwanted items a week and our shops in the North East have been helped in achieving this thanks to generous donations from the students and staff of Northumbria University.”

Catherine Argyle, Regional Stock Generator, British Heart Foundation

PERFORMANCE

Managing Environmental ImpactsEcoCampus is a national Environmental Management System and award scheme for the higher and further education sectors, enabling universities and colleges to identify, evaluate, manage and improve their sustainability and environmental practices.

The benefits of this system include

• Help achieve cost savings and reduce impacts with direct efficiencies in energy, water, waste, purchasing and transport

• Manage environmental risk and ensure legal compliance

• Full accreditation can lead to an ISO standard for environmental management

Northumbria joined EcoCampus in September 2014 and is in the planning stages of phase one and expected to achieve a bronze award by May 2014.

Travel Northumbria University is the largest University in the North East of England and is made up of up to 3,000 members of staff and 35,000 students, across a wide geographical area.

Despite the varying demands on travel needs, only 24% of staff and 10% of students drive to the City Campus to work and study.

The majority of staff and students already travel sustainably to City Campus with 11% of staff and 48% of students walking and 51% of staff and 37% of students travelling via public transport. The University will carry out staff and student travel surveys and from this will produce an updated summary of travel by the end of 2014.

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.

Some schemes aim to ‘protect the environment’ or ‘enable companies to trace their coffee’, Fairtrade’s focus is to support farmers and workers to improve the quality of their lives and take more control over their futures.

During Fairtrade Fortnight 2014 the University highlighted that over the last 10 years the price of bananas has halved whilst production costs have almost doubled, meaning for many farmers and growers they are not receiving a fair deal. Over 300 staff and students signed a petition asking the UK Government to make a stand, address the unsustainable supermarket price war and protect those farmers and workers who grow the UK’s favourite fruit.

Source: Fairtrade Foundation

The University produces 7,064 tonnes of CO₂ annually from its gas usage and this costs £1.1 million. It would take 1,766 years to produce the same amount of CO₂ if this gas was used to heat the average bungalow. Source: Rutland County Council

LED lighting has been fitted into the majority of Stephenson Halls of Residence, as well as various teaching areas, which will result in an estimated 100,000 kg per year saving in CO₂ emissions.

This is the same amount as the emissions produced from using 233 barrels of oil. Source: Carbon Footprint 360

For more information on this please visit: ecocampus.co.uk

To City Campus

%

Staff Target Staff Result Student Target Including Coach Lane

Student Result

2012/13 2012/13 2012/13 2012/13

Car Driver 26 24 23 10

Car Passenger 6 4 5 1

Motorcycle 1 1 1 0

Walking 10 11 25 48

Cyclist 8 9 6 4

Public Transport 49 51 40 37

Studying Success within Campus Services Internship Programme

Lorna Johnson has recently joined Campus Services as Sustainability Assistant where she will be working within the Health, Safety and Sustainability team.

Lorna has recently graduated from Northumbria University’s Geography and Environmental Management course with a 2:1 BSc honors degree.

The main focus of the post is to help the University achieve bronze status from the EcoCampus accreditation scheme and to be actively engaging students and staff in improving their own environmental performance.

The topics and modules covered within the course have enabled Lorna and other recent graduates to be well equipped to enter a role within the sustainability sector.

Engineering and EnvironmentSustainability is a core theme within all courses offered by the Geography Department. The Faculty of Engineering and Environment offer a range of courses incorporating various aspects of sustainable development and environmental awareness;

• A new Masters in Environmental Health has run from September 2014 - following on from the undergraduate course that Northumbria University currently offers

• The University offers a Health, Safety and Environment Masters equipping students with the skills they need to apply the cross-over between these sectors to organisations

• September 2014 has seen a new Environmental Engagement module offered to students on several undergraduate programmes. The module will teach students skills that are directly related to environmentally based job roles e.g. auditing skills, communicating sustainability, project delivery and skills that are found on the Institute of Environmental Management and Assesment (IEMA) skills map.

• Students throughout the Geography department are given the opportunity to choose modules that are IEMA and Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) accredited throughout the second and third year of their degree course; meaning that students can achieve associated membership with the relevant body without having to take the initial accreditation exam.

Newcastle Business School has a global reputation for delivering some of the best business management education in the UK, offering courses that incorporate all aspects of business management and best practice.

• The Business Ethics module is taken by all 3rd year students in which contemporary business ethics, corporate responsibility and sustainability are taught

• From September 2014, the new MBA programme includes a core module

on Globally Responsible Leadership.

Sustainability is integrated throughout all of

the other core modules

• Dr Jenny Davidson is Senior Lecturer of

Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability

at the Business School and has spoken

about the importance of the teaching

delivered by the Faculty now and in the

near future;

“Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility

is a contemporary management issue and by

integrating it into our programmes, we are

essentially reflecting business today”

Newcastle Business School

Lorna Johnson pictured here on her graduation day with her Manager Lesley Salkeld (Head of Health, Safety & Sustainability)

The latest addition to the University’s vehicle fleet has no tail pipe emissions and is fully electric; reducing CO₂ emissions by 1,100kg per year.

This is equivalent to the emissions given off by driving 2,619 miles.

Source: Carbon Footprint 360

ENGAGEMENT AND STUDYING

Increasing effective space utilisation will result in a reduction of an estimated 50,000 kg of CO₂ emissions in the next 12 months. This saving would be equivalent to the energy saved from turning off a 28 inch TV for over 650,000 hours. Source: GE Visualisation

Environmental VolunteeringEco NSU is the Student Unions’ programme of environmental volunteering and was launched in March 2012.

Devised by a volunteer student leadership committee, successful projects include regular Beach Cleans at Tynemouth Longsands, an on-going partnership with the Ouseburn Farm, the establishment of a ‘Food Co-op’ and the collection of 98kg of Food from Halls of Residences and Faculties for the Newcastle East Food Bank.

For the first time in 2014, Eco NSU held a dedicated week of volunteering, tied to the National People and Planet Go Green Week which saw 170 students involved, dedicating over 138 hours of volunteering time.

The Student Union has also attained Green Impact Excellence Award this year from the National Union of Students (NUS), one of only 10 Students’ Unions in the country to reach this standard.

Student Switch Off

The Student Switch Off programme is a not-for-profit campaign run in partnership with the National Union of Students that encourages students living in University halls of residence to save energy and recycle their waste.

Students are set manageable challenges that vary throughout the year and are rewarded for participating. The 2014/15 academic year will see this programme into its third year, and will build upon the achievements seen by engaging students during 2013/2014;

Key Statistics

• 349 students participated in energy saving and recycling competitions

• 8 students trained as Student Switch Off Ambassadors

• 249 students took part in the Climate Change Quiz

• 180 students joined the ‘Northumbria University Student Switch Off’ Facebook page

For more information please visit: facebook.com/NorthumbriaSSO or like the Facebook page

Green Impact is an environmental accreditation and awards scheme run in partnership with the National Union of Students through which staff and students are engaged in environmental improvements across the University.

Since 2011/2012;

• 14 bronze awards

• 2 silver awards

• 30 students have been trained as auditors

• 40 staff have directly engaged with the project

For more information please visit: greenimpact.org.uk/northumbria

Green Impact ENGAGEMENT AND STUDYING

PRACTICAL SUSTAINABILITY

The amount of journeys made to the City Campus each year has been reduced by 1,000 as a result of rationalising the amount of catering and retail outlet deliveries.

2014 has welcomed the arrival of a newly created allotment behind Ellison Terrace which is made up of two large beds growing vegetables and herbs, as well as a garden shed and a new outdoor seating area.

The allotment was created by Eco NSU; to become involved in the maintenance of Ellison allotment or to find out about any of the other activities done by Eco NSU, please visit:

mynsu.northumbria.ac.uk/studentactivities/EcoNSU/

Eco NSU

This publication has been printed on 50% recycled paper.