What We've Done So Far

100% renewable energy

All our campuses are powered by renewable energy. Each year the solar power we generate is enough to power around 300 homes and cuts our annual carbon footprint by 260 tonnes.

Hundreds of trees planted

As part of the Woodland Trust’s Big Climate Fightback, Grounds staff worked with students and the wider community to plant hundreds of trees.

Divested from fossil fuels

In response to calls from students and staff the decision was made to sell our two holdings in oil and gas companies, so we no longer invest in fossil fuels.

Investment in active travel

£100k has been allocated for cycling facilities at our Devon sites, with plans for improvements in Cornwall supported via the Bike User Group.

Students tackle global issues: Challenges Online

Project week where 67 interdisciplinary student-led groups created solutions to real-life issues such as reducing carbon footprints through behaviour change, with some ideas feeding directly into future plans for campus life. Almost 400 students took part globally. Why not register your interest for Challenges Online 2021?

The White Paper report

The report, published in November 2019, contains over 200 recommendations from students and staff, including our leading environment and climate experts. It highlighted the need for transformational change in our operational practices and behaviours across the entire institution, including what we buy, waste, eat, teach and more.

We aim to be sustainability and climate change leaders regionally, nationally and internationally and have therefore committed to the delivery of the four key goals recommended by the white paper:

GOAL 01

Carbon net zero for scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2040.

GOAL 02

Carbon net zero for scope 3 emissions by 2050.

GOAL 03

Policy of environmental net gain for our estates, region and the globe.

GOAL 04

Be a leader in national and international sustainability rankings by 2025.

Glossary

Scope 1: All direct emissions from the activities of an organisation, e.g. fuel consumption, fleet vehicles. Scope 2: Indirect emissions from electricity purchased and used by the organisation.

Scope 3: All other indirect emissions occurring from sources the organisation does not own or control e.g. procurement, business travel, waste and water. Environmental net gain: A measure of the overall positive impact on the environment.