At a ceremony in Southampton today, which coincides with National Clean Air Day, the University signed up to the City Council’s Green Charter.
Under the Charter, the City Council will work with local residents and organisations to improve air quality, reduce pollution and waste, and minimise the impact of climate change.
Professor Rachel Mills, Dean of the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, who signed the Charter on behalf of the University, said:
“The University supports the objectives of Southampton City Council and the Green City Charter, including the pledge for the city to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
“We recognise the challenge that this represents both for the UK, the city and for a research-intensive university, which will require significant investment in infrastructure across the city and a step change in approaches to energy supply and use if it is to be achieved.
“This will require strong and committed political leadership and the University will work to align our sustainability objectives with those of Southampton City Council in order to support the necessary changes, both in terms of our operational improvements, as well as the contribution of our research activities. We will work closely with Southampton City Council and other stakeholders within the city and region.”
Speaking about the University’s environmental credentials, Rachel said:
“The University of Southampton is working hard to embed sustainable behaviours into our operational and academic work.
“In 2014, we achieved the EcoCampus Platinum, an international standard for environmental management. Our Environment and Sustainability Policy outlines the key commitments we have made and our Environmental Management System is certified to the ISO14001:2015 standard.”
Over the last year, examples of the work the University has done to achieve these standards are:
- Running citizen science events about environmental subjects for the public
- Awareness-raising events, such as Waste Wars
- Sustainability-themed Halls quizzes
- Lectures on air quality
- Running Bioblitz events to celebrate local biodversity
- Planting oak trees at Wide Lane and plans to sow native wildflower seeds
- Running building manager forums to look at how electricity, gas, water are used on our sites
- Installing electric vehicle charge points across our campuses
- Plastic-free meals in the canteen and palm oil-free snacks and meals in the Arlott Bar
This is on top of our award winning public transport service Unilink which is now in its 21st year of operation and offers a great alternative to individual car journeys to the public in Southampton.
You can find out more about these initiatives and sustainability generally at the University in a series of features on SUSSED in the next few months.
Further information can be found at:
Sustainability at University of Southampton
Green City Charter – City Council website
Follow the Green Charter signing on Southampton@SouthamptonCC
