2018-2019Annual Sustainability Report

Solar panels

University’s strategic plan carbon reduction target

Strathclyde's strategic carbon reduction target required 25% reduction of the 2009-2010 baseline by 2020. This equates to a reduction from 30,000 tonnes of CO2e to 22,500 tonnes. At the end of the financial year 2018-2019, the University’s direct carbon emissions were 22,593 tonnes of CO2e. 

Reductions have been achieved through:

  • a down-sizing of the estate
  • investment in energy efficiency
  • investment in the Energy Centre and district heating pipework
  • the decarbonisation of the electricity grid.

Climate change adaptation

A number of initiatives are now underway to adapt to climate change issues:

  • the University has joined the Glasgow City Resilience Group led by Glasgow City Council
  • the University is represented on the Board of Climate Ready Clyde, a collaboration between a range of organisations in the River Clyde catchment including local authorities, the NHS, universities and the Scottish Government
  • climate change adaptation solutions are being integrated into new building designs, such as a green roof on the new Learning and Teaching Building
  • a climate change adaptation policy has been developed.
University Energy Centre

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) district energy project

The £20M Combined Heat and Power district energy scheme is now fully complete and operational, and we are seeing the system deliver significant cost and energy efficiency savings to the University.

CHP community benefit event with school children

Community benefits – The Strathclyde Commitment

As part of the University’s climate change and social responsibility policy, Strathclyde is committed to ensuring the delivery of socially progressive outcomes through its procurement processes.

Waste resource management

There was a 25% reduction in general waste arisings and a 34% increase in dry mixed recycling streams compared to 2017-2018.

The University’s Reuse, Recycling and Resource Centre helps ensure furniture and materials are reused around the University estate, waste is minimised and items are kept in useful working life for longer.

The University has adopted a target to remove single use plastics from catering outlets by the end of 2020. Vegware and compostable catering supplies were introduced in 2018-2019 to phase out the use of non-compostables, and initiatives around KeepCups continue to be implemented.

Strathclyde staff and the University's waste management contractor are working together to reduce the general and clinical waste arisings from the laboritories.

Student and staff engagement event at the Community Gardens

Engagement work

Student and staff engagement work included the Fairtrade Fortnight, Go Green Festival during the Go Green Week, events at Strathclyde's Community Garden, Student Switch Off, launching the Jump staff engagement programme and supporting the creation of the Sustainable Strathclyde student society.

Students in Pure & Applied Chemistry lab

S-Labs

The Sustainable Labs programme has grown to encompass eight additional new teams from across three different departments. The S-Labs Incentive Fund continued to provide new energy and water-efficient equipment in exchange of old ones. The new S-labs accredited PhD credit course, consisting of a lecture and a workshop, took place successfully.  The course was shortlisted for the International S-lab awards 2019 and was highly commended.

 

Sustainable transport

Staff driving a Strathclyde electric car

Electric vehicles

Following the successful trial of a Nissan electric van in 2015 the University secured funding in March 2017 for the lease of five electric vehicles and associated charging infrastructure.

Estates Services and Procurement Services utilised Community Planning Partnership funding from a number of our local authority partners to secure a three-year lease of three Nissan Leafs and two Renault Zoes. Two of these vehicles were officially launched as staff pool cars. From their launch in November 2018 to July 2019, 118 members of staff attended electric vehicle driver induction and the cars were booked 138 times driving approximately 4380 miles.

The Energy Savings Trust provided 100% grant funding for the installation of a charging point for each University facility including public charging units at AFRC and PNDC. Charge points are now live at AFRC, PNDC, Estates Services garage and Richmond Street.  The rapid charger at PNDC has proved to be particularly popular and this asset is particularly welcome as it fills a gap on the national charging infrastructure network. Find out more about Electric Vehicles at Strathclyde.

Strathclyde staff holding a cycle friendly campus banner

Cycling

Our cycle parking capacity has more than doubled since 2015 from 311 to 636 spaces in 2018/2019. We have also improved our changing facilities, re-organised the allocation of lockers to staff, and improved cycle parking facilities.

The University secured funding from Cycling Scotland for a Campus Cycling Officer Intern, as well as Smarter Choices Smarter Places funding for the intern to continue on as an Active Travel Coordinator. This provided a member of the team who could drive the development of cycling infrastructure and uptake of cycling across all University facilities. Initiatives launched to date include:

  • led bike rides across the city
  • social walking group
  • “Do It Yourself” bike maintenance sessions
  • bike security tagging and lock swaps
 
Cycle Friendly Employer Award

In 2018, the University was awarded Cycling Scotland’s Cycle Friendly Employer award status for 3 of its facilities: PNDC, AFRC and the Estates Service Directorate Building.

Find out more about cycling at Strathclyde

Wildflower sign on campus

Biodiversity

We began planning for the integration of rain gardens, green roofs and green walls. These climate adaptation and biodiversity solutions will be integrated within new and emerging capital projects as part of the University Sustainable Design Quality Standards.

Coffee beans

Fairtrade and sustainable procurement

A Fairtrade Steering Group consisting of representatives from the Sustainability Team, the Students' Assocation and Catering worked together to create a joint set of Fairtrade Policy statements. Through working towards the 2020 National Union of Students’ Fairtrade Accreditation, a SMART Action Plan was created.