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Help design the future of sustainability at UCL!

22 November 2018

The UCL Sustainability Team are working to redesign the sustainability vision for UCL and we want your input!

Image of a green Wilkins Terrace

Image of Wild Bloomsbury Vision

Where are we now?

Our first sustainability strategy was created in partnership with the UCL community back in 2013.  Since then we have climbed 63 places in the People and Planet University League to become a first class university, testimony to staff and students across campus working hard to teach, research and operate in a more sustainable way.

  • We have reduced our carbon emissions by 14% over the last 10 years
  • All our new buildings are meeting BREEAM Excellent or higher
  • We send zero waste to landfill, and 65% of waste is recycled
  • We have over 60 departments taking part in Green Impact, and 100 Green Champions

A new vision for sustainability at UCL

But is this enough?  UCL’s world leading research community is showing that we need to find solutions to live within our planetary limits and deliver social equality.  What better place to find and test those solutions than here at UCL?   

We want to develop a shared sustainability vision for UCL, celebrating and integrating the breadth of activity around environmental and social responsibility issues currently taking place, and also collaborating beyond our community. Sustainability is a challenge and an opportunity for everyone.

Initial consultation with staff and students has led to three themes:

  • Sustainable literacy – enabling globally responsible citizens
  • Getting the basics right – providing the infrastructure to help our community make sustainable choices
  • Global research, local solutions – using UCL’s research to tackle operational challenges

Three signature campaigns are proposed to provide a focus for the activities: Wild Bloomsbury, Climate Change: Action! and Sustainable Stuff.

What do you want to change?

We want to hear your ideas and opinions. What should a sustainable UCL look like? What needs to change? Have you seen a great example of sustainability you think we should implement? What projects would you like to see under these signature programmes? And how can we make the strategy a success?

We greatly appreciate your input in our three minute survey. It takes less time than making a cup of tea!

Take our Survey!

We are also holding workshops where you can play a greater role in defining the future of sustainability at UCL. 

Student workshops were held on 3rd December.

Staff workshops were held on the 9th of January