UCL UCU Green Group updates and opportunities to get involved

Please find below updates and opportunities for engaging with sustainability-related matters at UCL, as part of our branch’s continuing activities to develop policy and build capacity in this crucial space.

1.   Organisational travel

Earlier in the year we formed a small sub-group of the UCL UCU green group which has been exploring a possible branch position in relation to organisational travel at UCL. UCL does not currently have a comprehensive sustainable travel policy and we wish to be in a position to influence the creation and content of such policy. So far, the group has focused its efforts on looking into travel policies from other universities and research funding bodies which seem to take more advanced approaches in relation to their sustainable travel aims. The insights obtained will inform a UCL UCU branch position paper on sustainable organisational travel at UCL. We could still do with having one or two more people involved in this work as we approach the final stages of drafting this paper, which we expect to be finalised by the end of the year. If you are interested in joining this sub-group, please contact Anca Tacu (a.tacu@ucl.ac.uk), UCL UCU Environment Officer.

2.   Energy efficiency

We also formed a second small sub-group which has been exploring where we think UCL could be pushed to be more ambitious in relation to their energy efficiency. This is an area that touches just about every person, job and role in UCL and, due to this, we have been trying to narrow down where we are best placed to have an impact. We anticipate increasing efforts by UCL in this area, so it is essential that the branch can represent members’ views. We need some more members to join this group so, whether this is your area of expertise or not, if you would like to join us, please do so by emailing a.tacu@ucl.ac.uk.

3.   Food waste

Some of our members have expressed an interest in looking at food waste at UCL and how our branch could engage with UCL on best practices to reduce it. If this is something you would be interested in supporting, please email a.tacu@ucl.ac.uk.

4.   The UCU Climate and Ecological Emergency Annual Meeting

This annual meeting will be held online, on Thursday 7 December, 11-16.00. Any UCU member can register to attend the meeting, which will be running a series of workshops and talks from environmental activists working in the trade union movement, along with reporting on the work of UCU in relation to the climate and ecological emergency. Deadline for self-registering attendance is 30^th November https://ucu.wufoo.com/forms/climate-ecological-emergency-annual-meeting-23/. We would encourage as many of you as possible to attend.

If there are further areas in which members think we should be active during this academic year, and particularly if you are willing to contribute, please join the UCL UCU green group by getting in touch with Anca Tacu (a.tacu@ucl.ac.uk).

UCL UCU Executive
www.ucl.ac.uk/ucu 
@ucl_ucu