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Sustainability Plan: Where are we now?

Posted on 14 February 2022

Our February update includes progress reports, information about One Planet Week events, and suggestions that will enable you to become involved in promoting sustainability.

February update 

We launched our ambitious Sustainability Plan for the University in October 2021, when we nailed our colours to the mast and set out clear intentions and measurable targets for how we will improve sustainability at the University of York. 

Since then, there's been more agenda-setting work taking place across the entire University, as we delve deeper into how we approach social responsibility and our commitment to being a carbon neutral campus by 2030. We don't want to just live up to our "green" rhetoric, we want to embed sustainability in everything we do, and fully commit to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

Progress headlines

Three ways we've improved sustainability across campus recently:

  • We've raised our game when it comes to recycling. Our Lab Plastics Recycling Project was Highly Commended in the Green Gown Awards 2021, and we're also proud that we've saved one million single-use cups since introducing our YORCUP initiative.
  • We've introduced carbon literacy training to teach our staff and students about the climate crisis and how they can cut carbon usage, at home and on campus, and we've identified more opportunities for increasing renewable and low carbon technologies on campus.
  • In October, we launched the new Environmental Sustainability Academy at York, which is developing opportunities and boosting positive interactions between sustainable teaching, research, policy and operations.

Dates for your diary

  • As part of our annual One Planet Week (14-20 February), put your questions to an expert panel at our Sustainability Forum event on Monday 14 February.
  • We are running our own Carbon Literacy courses this term to raise awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of our everyday activities. Free for any member of staff or student, find out how you can reduce emissions on an individual, community and organisational level. Sign up now.
  • Download the GIKI Zero app to take part in our Carbon Reduction Challenge. Measure your carbon footprint, try personalised steps to cut carbon, and take part in a challenge sprint starting on Monday 14 February.

How else can I get involved?

We now need to catalyse decisive action. We want to draw on the diverse expertise of our students, staff and partners to collaborate in finding sustainable solutions to global challenges. Together, we can make more things happen and have more impact. 

Do you have a passion for sustainability and want to be a force for positive social change? Do you have ideas you want to share? Please email sustainability@york.ac.uk. 

While we've made some great progress in becoming a more sustainable university, there's still a lot to do. Our immediate focus is on the net zero target and waste, which we'll let you know more about in the first Sustainability Plan quarterly update, coming early April 2022.

We appreciate your support and engagement with us to move further and faster in our sustainability transformation.