Strategy, Policy and Compliance

Our Sustainable vision

We have long been a leader in the field of environmental research and training, and we are committed to replicating this success in how we care for our campus and its surrounding environment. Through effectively managing our estate, we strive to reduce the environmental impact of our operational activities and make a positive contribution to the local environment.

Governance

The Sustainability Committee is a vital part of all that we do at UEA. Sustainability is an over-arching value of the University, and the Committee helps us shape the ways our community can respond to the global climate and biodiversity crises. It is the forum through which UEA demonstrates publicly how we are addressing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and showcases our aspirations and achievements as a leading institution in tackling climate change.

– Professor Christine Bovis-Cnossen, Chair of the Sustainability Board and Provost & Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Environmental Sustainability is included within the portfolio of responsibilities of three members of our Executive Team (the University’s Senior Management Team). Professor Christine Bovis-Cnossen, Provost & Deputy Vice-Chancellor, chairs the Sustainability Board. Professor Mark Searcey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Science, and Ian Callaghan, Chief Resource Officer, are also Board members.

The Sustainability Committee, which meets quarterly, supports and influences initiatives to improve performance at Executive Team level. The Sustainability Committee reports to UEA Council, the executive governing body of the University.

In addition, we have recently invested around £4.5 million on replacing central boiler plant, upgrading CHPs, and installing thermal storage tanks on our district heating network. These have reduced carbon dioxide emissions to below our 1990 baseline.

We have invested around £2 million in energy efficiency measures since July 2018. Phase 1 of these measures has reduced our energy use by 7% and Phase 2 has offset the energy use of the New Science Building.

The Campus Development Programme is a key part of our NetZero strategy by improving energy efficiency of the original 1960s-built Lasdun Wall and reducing the footprint of the campus.

Environmental Management System

Our Environmental Management System (EMS) was first successfully audited to international standard ISO 14001 in May 2015. It has also been awarded the top level of the EcoCampus programme for EMS development within the HE sector, the EcoCampus Platinum Award.

We were successfully certified to the ISO 14001:2015 standard in May 2018.

Scope

Our EMS covers all UEA activities, products and services at all sites. Sites are the buildings and land at NR4 7TJ, shown in the campus map, with the addition of the Edith Cavell Building (NR4 7UL), the Bob Champion Research Building (NR4 7UQ), Wood Hall (NR9 3DE), and Weybourne (NR25, research building). INTO UEA LLP is excluded from our EMS scope.

Responsibilities

Our Sustainability Team coordinate the delivery of EMS targets, alongside colleagues from across the University. A multi-stakeholder Implementation Team is responsible for the delivery and reporting of objectives and targets under each environmental impact area. Implementation Teams are: Energy and Carbon Reduction, Biodiversity, Purchasing, Waste and Water, Sustainable Food; Transport, Engagement and Communications, and Sustainable Labs. We also hope to set up a Built Environment Implementation Team in the near future. These Implementation Teams include staff and Student Union representatives and report to the Sustainability Committee, and from there to UEA Council.

Read our Environmental Sustainability policy

Core elements of our Environmental Management System

Our Environmental and Energy Sustainability Policy establishes our sustainable environmental management goals and principles of our approach to environmental management.
Our Environmental Programme, as determined by each impact area's Implementation Team, helps to deliver commitments in our Environmental and Energy Sustainability Policy.
General environmental awareness training is delivered to all staff through induction programmes. A programme of job-specific training is on-going, for example biodiversity training for all project managers and relevant staff. Several student induction programmes also include sustainability lectures.