jamie agombar, ethical & environmental manager, nus services bethan harper, communications...
TRANSCRIPT
Jamie Agombar, Ethical & Environmental Manager, NUS Services
Bethan Harper, Communications Officer, University of Bristol
Green Impact –
A model for engaging departments
It started here!
• Presentation on Sound Impact• Martin Wiles saw potential for adapting
What is Green Impact?
• A locally-run departmental accreditation scheme• Tackles common bad practices / encourages good• For all types of environmental impact• For all types of departments• Bottom up - Any member of staff / student can lead• Empowers environmental champions
Digital workbook / auditing / awards / good practice booklet• Provides a framework for taking action• A race to the top• Gets people to buy into Sustainability Team initiatives
Summer 2008
• Agreed pilot - for 15 departments• Funded by University of Bristol• Departmental audits established common bad practices:
- Copier paper- TFL bulbs- Personal kettles- Lights on unnecessarily / awareness- Vacation shutdown- Bottle water- Fairtrade
The Green Impact Awards are an environmental initiative run by a consortium of interested parties led by the Energy and Environmental Management Unit, the University
of Bristol Union and NUS Services
EEMUEEMU
The workbook
• 20 bronze criteria (105 pts)• 15 silver criteria (93 pts)• 100 bonus criteria (427 pts)• Special awards:
- Innovation (25 pts)- Best energy saving idea (25 pts)- Environmental hero (25 pts)- Site Services recycling award- Site Services award for energy efficiency
• Total 700 points
Standards and awards• Bronze = 20 bronze criteria • Silver = 15 silver criteria plus 150 bonus points• Gold = Top three scoring departments• Special awards:
- Innovation - Best energy saving idea - Environmental hero - Site Services recycling award- Site Services award for energy efficiency
Criteria categories• Reducing waste• Reusing waste• Recycling waste• Waste legislation • Electricity - Awareness• Electricity - Air conditioning• Electricity - Lighting• Electricity - Appliances and other equipment• Electricity - Switching off
• Heating• Water• Travel• Procurement• Biodiversity and community• Greening teams, action plans and results• Departmental embedding and communications• Wider communications and impact• Special awards
Especially useful criteria• Environmental champion• External estates contact• Open ended energy saving ideas• Carbon audits!
What does the workbook look like?• Workbook
Launch and communications
• Managed locally • CUSP placements• It does take time to do it properly• Communications:
- Brand- Webpage- Deputy VC- Payslips- Meetings
• Support once they take the plunge
Sign-ups
• 51 departments!!• 2,500 members of staff
Auditors
• 30 volunteer auditors trained in Feb 2009• All Bronze and Silver departments will be audited• Audits taking place March and April• Auditing essential, rare, high scoring criteria
Carbon auditors
• S.006 – Basic energy audit• 35 volunteer auditors trained in Jan 2009• Carbon Academy training• 10 audits completed to date• 142 recommendations:
- 50 Lighting- 48 equipment- 25 heating- 10 air conditioning / ventilation- 5 windows- 4 awareness
Bethan Harper – Communications Officer, Sustainability Department, University of Bristol
Workbooks back
• 46 returned• 11 Silver• 26 Bronze• 9 Working towards accreditation
Statistics
• 100% have energy-awareness stickers in majority of offices• 87% have identified ten main greening opportunities• 50% have a greening team, met in the last 6 months• 33% reminded staff how they can recycle CDs• 20% taken one or more initiative to sustain / encourage biodiversity in last 12-months • 13% have run own water-saving campaign in last 6 months• 0% have calculated total carbon footprint for business miles last financial year
Done as a result of GIA?
• 76% (31 dept’s) induct all new staff on environment• 73% (29 dept’s) created vacation shutdown plan• 60% (26 dept’s) switched all A4 white copier paper over• 45% (10 dept’s) have refreshed energy saving comm’s• 35% (16 dept’s) switched to Fairtrade
Race to the top
• Banning air travel• Websites• Green Impact communications
Awards ceremony
• Mid-June• Film being made by student film society• Give out certificates / awards• Deputy VC there• Inviting all participants and key decision makers
Key success factors
• A good steering group• Needs to be seen as voluntary and bottom-up• All about empowering - need to reach the right people• Criteria need to be inclusive• Scheme needs to be fair• A ‘soft’ accreditation scheme. Spirit of the criteria.• Supportive and a bit of hand-holding• Helps if it is fun! • Senior management backing reaches different audiences• Long-term commitment; raising the bar
Learning points
• Check, and check again, the criteria• Need to resource well in terms of time• Trial more involvement by students’ union• 10% signed up but failed to submit. Not sure why (survey pending)
Benefits
• Start the journey for some• The opportunity to achieve! • Celebrate what is already happening• Get departments to buy in to your environmental programmes• Cost savings• Environmental benefits and behaviour change• Drive the University to next level• Raise profile internally and externally• Build bridges between departments• Help with employability
Next steps
• Next year at Bristol…• Roll out to 10 HEI’s 2009/10• Developing a tiered package:
- Based on size / number of departments- Different options (workbook, training, full, etc.)- In partnership with students’ union
• If interested for 2009/10 please leave your contact details
Find out more
• www.bristol.ac.uk/environment/green_impact/
Questions
? ? ?