On Earth Day, University of Greenwich Stands as a Sector Leader in Sustainability
As a higher education institute shaping the leaders of tomorrow and a large organisation with a sizeable carbon footprint of its own, the University of Greenwich has made sustainability a key pillar of its strategy. In order to achieve its goal of being carbon neutral by 2030, action is being taken in every area of the business from energy usage and recycling and waste management, to learning and training and research and partnerships, and as a result it has held a 1st Class People and Planet award for over ten years.
Net Zero target
Having committed to stopping the use of all fossil fuels in all buildings and vehicles by 2030, the university has invested in zero carbon heating systems and fully electric vehicles and the first carbon-free air source heat pump was switched on in February 2024.
In the Avery Hill campus where it was introduced, the carbon footprint has reduced by 60%. There are over 150 solar panels providing clean, renewable electricity to halls of residence and they are working with a local community energy co-op to train students to be able to report where more solar panels can be added, further reducing energy impact.
Recycling and Waste
Previously-loved furniture is used around the university, which has saved over 67 tonnes of carbon since 2019. Through an ongoing partnership with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), students and staff are asked to regularly donate clothes that are no longer wearable but can be useful to other people through the End of Term Reuse project, which has helped save 454 tonnes of carbon emission and raised £60k for BHF since 2010.
With 2.5 billion disposable cups used each year in the UK and less than 1% of them being recycled, the University of Greenwich halted use of plastic straws in 2018 and has two cafes which are disposable-cup free.
The introduction of a Buy It, Bring It, Swap It Campaign will help prevent approximately 60,000 disposable cups being wasted every year, which is equivalent to 90 wheelie bins of coffee cups. A CauliCup and CauliBox scheme, where students and staff can borrow cups and containers reducing single use non-recyclable materials even further, is being trialled.
Embedding sustainability into everything
Students and staff have the opportunity to learn about energy and carbon through a variety of programmes. Sustainability is embedded into all courses so that students are empowered to incorporate it into whichever career path they choose.
For staff there are Climate Literacy courses, a Green Champions Network to encourage them to reduce their carbon impact and a free app called GREen Rewards for everyone to download to win financial rewards for learning about how they can modify behaviours that can help the planet.
Green research and partnerships
As an academic institution, research and learning are at the core. Much of the university’s research is focused on helping communities around the world respond to the climate emergency, especially the work carried out by the world-renowned Natural Resources Institute.
The university has developed partnerships with sustainability organisations – RSK Group, a global leader in the delivery of sustainable solutions, Planet Mark who are specialist in sustainability certification and Brand New, specialists in sustainable marketing solutions. All partnerships aim to support the university sustainability strategy and provide students with work experience and graduate jobs opportunities in the sustainability sector.