Our People
Our staff and students are crucial to the successful implementation of our Sustainability Plan.
As Sustainability is at the heart of the University’s strategic aims and is of crucial importance to our future, it is quickly becoming embedded into our core functions through its focus on teaching, research, resources, partnerships, health and wellbeing and climate impact.
To help this continue we have worked diligently on creating a governance structure, including a Sustainability Steering Group, to establish a solid foundation for embedding sustainability and our Sustainability Plan into University life.
Our sustainability governance groups:
- Provide an oversight for implementing the University of York Strategy
- Ensure designated accountability for achieving goals
- Enable actions to be actively progressed
- Enable clear structure for accommodating stakeholder input
- Foster agility for planning and implementation
University's Sustainability Steering Group
The University's Sustainability Steering Group provides strategic leadership of the implementation and delivery of the University Sustainability Plan.
The steering group has the responsibility for defining the overarching vision for sustainability at the University for recommendation to the University Executive Board (UEB) for Council approval. It is the central governing and oversight group for sustainability at the University. The group will develop and oversee the implementation of the University Sustainability Plan ensuring alignment with University Strategy, and reporting into the UEB.
This group is Chaired by Matthias Ruth, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and its full membership consists of positions from across the University community.
Sustainability Plan Theme Leads
Our Sustainability Plan Theme Leads are individuals assigned responsibility because of the specific role they hold at the University. These individuals are the focal point for works in their specific theme or Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the Sustainability Plan through networks and action groups, reporting into the Sustainability Steering Group on progress towards the sustainability plan for their associated theme.
Sustainability Action Groups
Our variety of formal and informal Sustainability Action Groups focus on improving specific areas of sustainability across the University. Some of these are shorter timescale task and finish groups and some are longer-term working groups and committees. Our Actions Groups are made up of our staff and student community.
Sustainability Community Forums
Our periodic Sustainability Community Forums will formally obtain and input the views of a wide range of individuals across the University community on the implementation of the Sustainability Plan now, and in the future.