UCL's Sustainability Progress

An update on UCL's progress in sustainability by Richard Jackson, UCL's Sustainability Director

We have now been running an Environmental Sustainability programme at UCL for six years and in that time, we have achieved a lot. Our carbon emissions are gradually being tackled, water consumption has been reduced, we are recycling and reusing more, and we are embedding sustainability across all of our building projects - big and small. We achieved an international standard for our environmental management approach last year and have moved from 89th in the University Green League (in 2013) to 26th last year. Of course there is a lot more to do, but we are making progress.

Success has, in no small measure, been the result of our community and how engaged it has been and continues to be. We are getting more and more departments involved in our programmes and there is an increasing drive to take action, whether this is in reducing the amount of plastic which we use, encouraging staff and students to turn things off or setting up small enterprises.

Looking forward, we are about to embark on a consultation regarding a new Sustainability Strategy for UCL. Our aim is to create a strategy which is inspiring and challenging, which encourages our whole community to get involved and gives agency for action, to individuals, to groups, to departments and to our partners. I look forward to getting your views.