martin wiles, bristol university

Think BIG, start small!

• A departmental environmental accreditation scheme with an awards element.

• Based on simple practical actions that every University department can do.

• Departments were asking, ‘we want to go Green but don’t know how’.

What is Green Impact?

Purpose

• Reducing the environmental impact of the University of Bristol by encouraging, rewarding and celebrating environmental good practice within University departments.

• Open to all university departments regardless of their size and activity.

• Departments find their own level.• Any member of staff/student can lead on it

for their department:–Not mandatory – want to engage those

who are interested,–Not just a scheme for one person to do –

Most of the criteria require group action.

Aimed at departments

• Participating departments have an on-line workbook:– Over 135 Criteria (each scored out of 10).– Covers energy, water, waste, transport,

procurement, CSR, management, biodiversity.– All closed criteria.– Each based on practical actions identified through

a series of environmental audits and interviews carried out at UoB.

How does it work?

• The efforts of all participating departments will be recognised, –Working towards accreditation–Bronze–Bronze Plus –Silver–Gold –Platinum- Special awards – best student engagement

The standards

The department proactively advises the majority of external visitors for meetings, and if applicable students for lectures, how they can get to the department via public transport, walking, or cycling.

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Departments are encouraged to promote sustainable transport to visitors.

The department proactively advises the majority of external visitors for meetings, and if applicable students for lectures, how they can get to the department via public transport, walking, or cycling.

Examples include emails to visitors pointing them to the University's travel webpage. This could be through a standard note added as part of email signatures. Also Information or links on the department's webpage. Interviews with staff.

• Departments can work at their own pace.

• Ran at UoB from October to March each year. • Support – workshops, site visits, action planning,

posters, stickers, regular emails out to participants, web page with FAQ’s.

How does it work

• Recruit volunteer staff and student auditors.

• Departments get feedback reports on how they have done.

• Awards ceremony May, hosted by the Deputy

Vice Chancellor.

• Best Practice Guide is produced each summer.

How does it work

Benefits • Moves sustainability up the agenda.• Helps build capacity for Environmental

Managers.• Helps get good user buy-in for

sustainability – opens doors.• Supports other sustainability activity, e.g.

EMS, BiTC.• Supports internal activity and initiatives.

Benefits • A good communication network.• Learning opportunity for staff and students

– audits, criteria themselves.• Reduces the ‘why oh why’ questions.• Over 1500 environmental actions taken

each year.• Carbon reduction?

Finally • Working with NUSSL, helped roll out into

the HE sector – 35 Universities doing. Now in its second year.

• Developing for local authorities, FE colleges and would like to do in other sectors.