All-staff briefing: Environmental Sustainability

Environmental Sustainability, one of the University’s Strategy’s four principles, was the focus of the all-staff talk on Thursday 18 November. . We aim to be the greenest research-intensive university in the country, and an important part of this will be our Net Zero Carbon by 2030 plan. 

Vice-Chancellor Robert Van de Noort was joined by Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Planning and Resource) Professor Mark Fellowes. Mark leads the University’s work on environmental sustainability and presented how we will become the university that lives by its principles. 

Introducing the session Robert emphasised the University’s long history of research in climate and our achievements so far to be environmentally sustainable. Carbon emissions have been reduced by 46% since 2008 and our Net Zero Carbon Plan was recently named one of the best in the UK. Robert said that “there is also a lot that colleagues can do so that we achieve net zero by 2030; by turning off lights and equipment when not in use, reusing and recycling whenever possible and thinking about how you travel.” 

Mark explained that to achieve environmental sustainability we need to have excellence in research, teaching and learning and our campus operations, and take the benefits from each area and apply to others to become a truly green university.  

You can also access the recording on Microsoft Stream.  

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All colleagues will be sent an Outlook Calendar invite ahead of the session. If you have any queries, please contact communications@reading.ac.uk.  

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