How to Embed Environmental Sustainability into Departmental Planning

The University declared a Climate Emergency in September 2019 and as such recognises the need to reduce the environmental impact of our all activities and services. The declaration covers scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions:

- Scope 1 and 2 are emissions created by the generation and consumption of electricity and heat.

- Scope 3 are emissions created by others that are outside the direct control of the University but are created because we exist e.g. commuting and travel, waste disposal and procurement of goods and services.

In 2024, the University also added Sustainability to its wider University strategy and each academic department is now being asked to consider sustainability as part of the ARC annual review process or less frequent strategy renewal process. There is recognition that all departments and individuals need to play their part to reach University targets, however it isn’t always clear to them how they can do so. The Sustainability Committee proposes to collaborate and support you on this journey.

Note for academic departments: As this document provides guidance on embedding environmental sustainability into departmental planning, we recommend referring to the categorisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under Environmental, Social and Governance (E, S, G). The primary focus should be on the Environmental (E) and Governance (G) categories as the SDGs appearing under Social (S) will mostly be covered in the Social Inclusion section of the ARC APR Planning Proforma.

Guidelines for Academic Departments

Here are the 5 questions we would like you to focus on when considering environmental sustainability during the ARC planning process:

What existing initiatives in your department currently contribute towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals? Please consider adding on key progress when filling out this form.

Information about the SDGs can be found hereLink opens in a new window. Please consider the following areas when answering this question, examples for each of these can be found by clicking on them:

Education & Student Experience

- Encourage your students to obtain the Climate Literacy CertificateLink opens in a new window

- Carry out a curriculum review to map Sustainable Development Goals and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentLink opens in a new window skills and consider how sustainability can be embedded further in your department’s curriculum and extracurricular offering.

- Ensure students have an understanding of what environmental sustainability is and how it links to their degree and future employment opportunities.

- Add ESD in your departmental Education Strategy.

- Consider having an ESD lead within the department.

- Promote the ESD network termly events and consider presenting your own initiatives as examples of best practice to inspire others.

- Ensure all students are aware of the Energy and Sustainability sessions which run during Welcome Week and view the student sustainability induction videoLink opens in a new window at the start of the academic year.

- Arrange for a sustainability information stand/presentation during first term.

- Highlight the link between sustainability and your courses in Open Days and Offer Holder Days presentations.

- Promote the Student Green Champion community and encourage student participation to facilitate networking among those with an interest in sustainability.
- Encourage students to join sustainability related events on campus.

- Encourage your students to engage with the Sustainability Pathway activities of the Warwick Awards and promote sustainability related extra-curricular activities and volunteering opportunities.

- Consider adding environmental sustainability as an area for co-creation projects with students.

- Promote sustainability related placement opportunities and encourage students to engage with sustainability related events organised by the Careers Team Sustainability | Values| Careers | University of WarwickLink opens in a new window.

- Consider engaging with external partners or accreditation bodies linked to sustainability in your specific academic/research/educational area.

Research & Innovation

- Promote research related to environmental sustainability and events organised by the Sustainability Spotlight.

- Include UG dissertation/Masters project titles that are related to sustainability including using the University as a ‘living labLink opens in a new window’

- Consider adding SDGs to staff webpages to reflect the link of their research with the sustainability agenda.

- Consider highlighting on your webpages how you conduct research in a sustainable way, explaining how you comply with forthcoming sustainability policies and guidelines (reference to LEAF accreditation, sustainable research policy, sustainable procurement policy, sustainable travel policy, sustainable events guidelines, etc.)

- Consider adding environmental sustainability as an area of research taking place in your department on your research webpages (if applicable), highlighting a selection of research projects.

- Consider working with regional, national and global stakeholders within this area (if applicable)

Engagement & Impact

- Consider creating communities of practice focused on sustainability, to share best practice across departments.

- Raise awareness amongst your staff and students about the Climate Emergency and associated targets, and the forthcoming refreshed Environmental Sustainability Strategy, as well as how individuals can make a difference.

- Encourage your staff to obtain the Climate Literacy CertificateLink opens in a new window

- Promote and support staff to engage with sustainability activities organised by the Energy and Sustainability team.

- Encourage staff and students to become Green ChampionsLink opens in a new window.

- If you have several Green Champions, consider setting up a Green Champions action group and give them the support to succeed (for example, have a standing item on environmental sustainability at your staff meetings or a Green Committee)

- Encourage everyone to consider sustainable transports options to, from and within the University, including video conferencing when appropriate.

- Encourage staff to consider environmental sustainability in all the decision-making processes, whether these are linked to research, education, engagement or operations.

- Consider engaging with regional, national or global stakeholders around environmental sustainability (if applicable).

Departmental Operations

- Develop plans to reduce your department’s utilities consumption (electricity, heating, cooling, water, special fluids and gases). Consider and monitor your department's space usage to ensure that we’re not heating and cooling spaces unnecessarily which could be more productively used. More details can be found at University Energy Usage Policy and Guidance.Link opens in a new window

- Ensure staff and students are aware of the recycling facilities and where information can be found about how to use these. Review the facilities available for recycling all relevant waste streams and ensure these are suitable and sufficient. Identify the waste streams within your space and review the central facilities available for recycling. For specific questions contact: wasteandrecycling@warwick.ac.uk.

- Undertake a review of single use items required for research such as lab equipment and set targets to replace the items with reusable alternatives.

- Review goods and services you procure across your department. Look for efficiency savings and consider the waste hierarchy:

- - Carefully consider every purchase to ensure that it is necessary.

- - Prioritise using existing equipment, this may mean borrowing from within the University.

- - Utilise Warwick Swap where possible for furniture requirements.

- - Consider second hand items.

- - Buy better, consider whole-life cost, focusing on high quality repairable items.
  - Encourage the department to review their use of consumable and single use items such as coffee cups and food packaging.

- Keep laptops in use for 4 years, after which the warranty will expire. Always dispose of old or unused assets through IT Services - IT Equipment DisposalLink opens in a new window to ensure that they are responsibly recycled through our partner Restore Ltd.

- - Consider reduce the environmental impact of events. See the Sustainable Event Guide at: How to Run Sustainable Events

- Collaborate with procurement colleagues and suppliers to assess the environmental footprint of goods and services, embedding responsible procurement into contracts and prioritising lower-carbon, biodiversity-friendly investments.
  - - Prioritise responsible procurement in both strategic contracts and day-to-day purchases by using approved suppliers, supporting circular products, and promoting local businesses.

- Ensure staff are aware of sustainable policies and guidelines (sustainable travel, sustainable research, sustainable procurement, sustainable events, etc.) and that they know where to find these, and strongly encourage and support adherence to them.

Departmental Governance & Progress Monitoring

- Include an environmental sustainability section within all staff PDRs to help embed sustainability into the culture of the department.

- Consider having environmental sustainability as a standing item on all committee meeting agendas and build in a requirement to committee TORs to consider environmental factors in all committee decisions.

- Consider time in workloads to if individuals make a substantial commitment to engage with environmental sustainability initiatives as volunteers, whether on campus or beyond.

- Consider adding an environmental sustainability assessment section in applications for internal departmental funding support.

- Include environmental sustainability into your departmental induction conversations.

- Include an environmental statement in the job descriptions of all new staff to demonstrate the culture of the department before individuals start at the University.

- Have a regular agenda item at departmental meetings to discuss sustainability initiatives and offer staff the opportunity to contribute with suggestions.

- Consider having a departmental environmental sustainability lead (this can be a green champion), who will have an oversight of work being done in this area and offer an expert view when considering sustainability assessment within the department and to the University.

- Encourage staff to feedback with ideas or suggestions to reduce the department’s impact on environmental sustainability or to highlight where they identify something to address.

- Promote initiatives that you have introduced that you feel the University could benefit from.

- Consider setting up departmental environmental sustainability targets and set up progress monitoring processes.

2. What activities might you need to stop or review and why?

3. What initiatives should be continued and intensified and why?

4. What new sustainability-driven/themed initiatives are you launching/considering launching and why?

5. Finally, if you had to select 3 SDGs as your top overall SDGs, what would these be and why?

Guidelines for Professional Services

Here are the 5 questions we would like you to focus on when considering environmental sustainability during the departmental planning process:

What existing initiatives in your department currently contribute towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals? Please consider adding on key progress when filling out this form.