From Warwick’s Sustainability Team

Way to Sustainable

Warwick’s Strategy 2030 commits us to growth and embeds sustainable development into our strategic plans and activities. Our sustainability strategy, which is called ‘The Way to Sustainable’, reflects our collective journey of continuous improvement. Our ambition is that every member of the Warwick community, our partners and our networks join us as we work together to find ways to be more sustainable. We have identified five goals that relate to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These include embedding sustainability in the curriculum, realising biodiversity net gain on our campus, and achieving net zero carbon from our direct and indirect emissions. We will achieve these goals through the four pathways of research, education, engagement, and sustainable operations.

Hedgehog Friendly Campus and other biodiversity projects

We are committed to protecting, creating, and enhancing spaces for biodiversity across our campus as well as providing space for people to enjoy nature and the great outdoors. There are numerous examples of projects that have taken place in recent years including:

• Achieving the ‘Hedgehog Friendly Campus’ bronze award;

• Enhancing Claycroft ponds through revetment creation and planting;

• Regular litter picks and a new Wednesday Warwick Wombles litter picking group;

• Reinstating hedge laying by the entrance roundabouts to create a variety of habitats;

• Planting more than 1,000 trees / hedgerow plants; and

• Taking part in Plant Life’s ‘No Mow May’ initiative and sowing new wildflower areas.

Like what you see? Make sure you’re following us on @ WarwickUniSust and check our web pages to sign up to initiatives like these.

Waste and Single Use Plastics

Warwick is continuing its work to tackle waste and to move towards circular economic practices. For example, we are making it easier to separate and properly dispose of waste on campus through using better signage to direct where waste items need to go and through providing up-to-date lists of waste collection areas outside accommodations on our website. Our ‘Pay As You Feel Market’ and RAWKUS collections also continue to offer staff and students opportunities to get more involved and learn about waste streams.

The Warwick community has begun its journey toward tackling single use plastics. The campus has already done much to remove single use plastics through its events, conferences, and day-today procurement and will continue to push forward to tackle this issue. Did you know that the Students’ Union will also very soon have a plastic free shop offering from its reception desk?

Cut the Flow

Cut the Flow is an inter-block energy and water saving competition across the halls of residence on campus. Two prizes are awarded at the end of each term to the block that reduces their energy and water consumption the most. In term one of the 2022/23 academic year, Arthur Vick 1 (energy) and Emscote (water) were awarded first place

- they will be rewarded a hamper of sustainable goodies from local shop Zero.

We have four Cut the Flow Assistants who regularly visit accommodation to raise awareness of the initiative and share top tips on how you can increase the likelihood of your block winning the next prize.

Ready for the challenge? You can easily save energy by:

• Turning off the lighting even when leaving a room for a short time;

• Turning off equipment (ovens, hobs, laptops etc.) when not in use;

• Only boiling as much water as you need.

Water-saving can be just as easy. Why not try:

• Taking shorter showers;

• Snubbing the tub and avoid baths as they use more water than showers;

• Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face?

Green Champions and Green Action Teams

There are over 250 Staff Green Champions at the University, many of whom are involved in Green Action Teams within their departments. These teams help their departments to make green changes, and they also raise awareness of what we can all do to help the environment. There are seven active teams, and we are working to set up more groups in other departments. Laboratory teams in Life Sciences, WMS and Chemistry are also working hard to reduce their carbon emissions and create an environment that supports research quality by joining the global Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) initiative.

We recently relaunched our Student Green Champions Network. If you have an interest in sustainability, then becoming a Green Champion opens up other opportunities such as to develop transferrable skills, meet like-minded people, see more of campus and the surrounding area, learn more about how the University operates and how decisions are made. Our Champions can choose from a wide range of activities to participate in - they can raise awareness on energy and water consumption, advocate for sustainable travel options, engage with plasticfree initiatives, promote sustainability in creative and engaging ways to the wider community, and many more, while earning skill points towards their Warwick Skills Award. Sign up today!

Where can you find us?

After their success in term one, our pop-up Sustainability Stands are making a return – you can catch us weekly across campus and talk about sustainability initiatives and what matters to you. Find all timings and locations in our events calendar.

We are also excited to facilitate Green Week (612 March) on campus for the sixth time. Be sure to check out our timetable in February and engage with a large variety of events from academic talks on circular economy through to visiting the apiary to attending society events.

Want to learn more?

Interested in participating? Got any ideas? Email us sustainability@warwick. ac.uk; visit our website warwick.ac.uk/sustainability/ environment; and follow us on social media @ WarwickUniSust. We’d love to hear from you.