Environmental Essex
One of Essex’s core values is its commitment to the environment and sustainability and 2007-08 has been a year of rapid development in this area.
Central to Essex’s increasing focus on all things green has been the foundation of the Green Task Force (GTF); a cross-departmental committee of staff and students which aims to develop a far-reaching sustainability policy. The group is chaired by Professor Jules Pretty and reports directly to the University Steering Group and has already made a string of significant achievements. One of its most important aspirations is to audit and reduce the University overall carbon footprint which stands at approximately 25,000 tonnes per year.
Rapid steps forward have been taken regarding recycling across the University, both in residences and offices. Recycling bins are now widespread across the Colchester Campus and recycling is collected daily from student residences. Aspirations for office-based initiatives include a proposal to replace the 10,000 personal waste bins at Colchester with general waste and recycling bins. A similar scheme at the University of Leeds, which saw 5,000 office waste bins removed, saved £20,000 in landfill tax and now saves £47,000 annually.
Another area where there has been significant change is in catering outlets at Essex. After a five-year campaign, led by the Ethics and Environment Committee and Human Rights Society, the University has been awarded fairtrade status by the UK branch of the Fairtrade Foundation. In November 2007 the Catering Service launched insulated University mugs which allow staff and students to purchase discounted coffees while saving the environment. To date 2,600 mugs have been sold and 30,000 discounted coffees sold, saving 30,000 disposable cups. Suppliers for fruit and vegetables are now all local and there will soon be a herb garden at the Colchester Campus supplying the Catering Service. There are further plans to establish allotments on a campus farm.
Essex’s environmental credentials are being further enhanced by incorporating sustainable energy and technology into its programme of physical development. New buildings are now being designed with the environment at their heart. The most visible evidence of this is the wind turbine installed on the new Health and Human Sciences building. A new building for the Centre for Brain Sciences also uses a combination of sustainable technologies including ground source heat pumps which use the energy within the soil to heat the building, solar panels to heat water and rainwater harvesting for flushing toilets.
These green building techniques are complemented by the use of thermal imaging to identify heat loss from University buildings. Thermal imaging of Wivenhoe House and Raleigh Tower at the Colchester Campus has already been completed while further imaging is planned for the forthcoming year and will include the Albert Sloman Library.
The Green Task Force is also driving the University’s transport plan. With significant cooperation and contribution from the Estate Management Section, the University has successfully launched a cycle to work scheme, completed a travel survey with 900 respondents, and introduced a University-branded bus in Colchester. Future targets include surveying travel to and from the Southend Campus, improving pedestrian and cyclist safety on Clingoe Hill in Colchester, and developing a car sharing scheme in collaboration with the University Car User Group.
Other areas that have come under the scrutiny of the Green Task Force include biodiversity and habitats at Wivenhoe Park, sustainable procurement, and communicating green issues with key stakeholders via leaflets for staff and students and a new sustainable Essex website.
The success of Essex’s green initiatives has already been marked by an award from the Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme, managed by the Carbon Trust. The award, made in January 2008, recognised the University’s achievements in improving energy efficiency.
For some years staff and students at Essex have strived to improve sustainability at the University through a variety of initiatives, research and teaching. There has been some progress but also frustration. With the foundation of the Green Task Force the University can now envision a future in which it can develop educational models for healthy and sustainable living. The University seeks to make more of existing human resources and enthusiasm, as well as set out plans to obtain additional funding to support ideas for technological and behavioural change.