REPORT TO: The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) ----

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "REPORT TO: The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) ----"

Transcription

1 LANGSIDE COLLEGE CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN (CCAP) PROGRESS REPORT AS AT MAY REPORT TO: The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) ---- In order to satisfy the requirements of the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council (SFC) INTRODUCTION The Board of Management at its meeting of the 15 th December 2009 adopted the Climate Change Action Plan and requested the Principal implement the Plan as described. The Climate Change Action Plan covers the years Institutional sustainability has been set as a key strategic theme for the College with implementation being achieved through the Sustainability Action Group. Strategic responsibility for the plan lies with the Director of Corporate Services, facilitated by the Depute Principal, and the functional leads are Academic Heads and the Estates Manager. The short progress report below follows the headings set out in the EAUC letter and is intended to respond to the light touch request from government. A key goal for Langside College is to reduce its CO2 emissions by 25% by 2013/14 from the 2008/09 baseline levels. This equates to a potential saving of 425 tonnes of CO2. 1. How you have enhanced your learning and teaching through the provision of skills, modules and courses. The Importance to the College of embedding environmental sustainability into learning and teaching and its support is demonstrated by the following actions. With the commissioning of the new Campus the College has invested in new ICT infrastructure to minimise the use of paper and promote electronic communication. Course design and delivery has focused on the use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and over the past year active users on this platform has increased by 22%. The annual CPD conference in 2009 had as its theme environmental sustainability. This training allowed staff to confidently embed environmental sustainability contexts across the curriculum. In addition annual operational plans developed for each teaching department have as a theme Managing Institutional Sustainability. Each classroom is fitted with state of the art smartboard technology with all PCs operating with automatic switch off. Skills are further developed through student involvement in volunteering projects which demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainable communities. Student enrolment can now be carried out on-line with student induction exercises centred on environmental sustainability. At each portfolio review consideration is given to environmental content and contexts.

2 The Department of Continuing & Inclusive Learning at the College ( SCIL) have presented an example of sector leading innovative practice around a sustainability project to the forthcoming HMI review of the College. The SCIL Eco Project Produced an Environmental DVD Recycle 2 day 4 2 Moro and was completed in partnership with Urbancroft. The project was part of the students ASDAN Environmental Award portfolio. This was delivered over 8 weeks one day a week. This is an example of the widespread integration of sustainability in learning provision. 2. How have you reduced your carbon emissions cutting energy consumption and substituting energy sources. The College Carbon Management Plan (CMP) produced in July 2010 sets out a number of projects designed to ensure success in meeting the overall reduction in CO2 emissions from 1730 tonnes in 2013/14 (should the college do nothing) to 1305 tonnes in 2013/14 where the 425 tonne savings target is achieved. The Carbon Management Programme will concentrate mainly on operational aspects of campus management, with the Estates Section giving consideration to the following: Energy performance and efficiency Travel and transport Waste management and recycling Protection of the natural environment Consumption of resources The target for CO2 savings for the first year of the plan (2009/10) is 92 tonnes which represents 21.6% of the target for the five year plan. Projects commenced in 2009/10 included; LCP 01 Waste Recycling LCP 02 Installation of Voltage Optimisation Equipment to Woodburn House LCP 03 & 04 Not Started LCP 05 Green Travel Plan LCP 06 Not Started LCP 07 Removal of electrical appliances Scanning Project Work continues to capture data to allow quantification of the CO2 savings arising from the introduction of these schemes. For example Salix Voltage Optimisation is currently under review to determine whether the planned annual savings of 15 tonnes per annum has been achieved.

3 A major Challenge exists for the College in establishing a baseline carbon footprint. The College will in 2010/11 occupy a new campus with its attendant new plant and equipment. The design and fit out of the building will materially change the baseline carbon position of the College. The baseline will be Built up as the estate is adjusted through phases 3 and 4 of the new build Langside Campus over the period August 2009 July Major challenges exist around the measurement of carbon emission reductions. 3. How have you encouraged waste reduction, recycling and responsible disposal? The Environmental Sustainability Policy is central to the College commitment to lifelong learning. This policy commits Langside College to transforming itself into an organisation that strives towards institution wide excellence in response to national and international calls for the College sector to play an influential role in helping shape a sustainable future. The Policy adopts a 4C approach to embedding Environmental Sustainability across the College, recognising that the Environmental Sustainability agenda has significant implications for the Curriculum (including learning and teaching), for the Campus, for Community links and partnerships and for the Culture of the College. As indicated above project LCP 01 Waste Recycling has seen the introduction of a process to segregate waste to be collected for both the Langside and Rutherglen Campuses. Separate bins exist to collect waste to landfill, paper and card, metal and plastics In partnership with a corporate sponsor the College has taken delivery of a number of smaller waste recycling bins placed throughout the Campus to collect litter from students. A new print strategy, introduced with the move to the new campus, saw the removal of almost all small desktop printers. This coupled with improvements delivered from centralised printing will lead to a reduction in the total copy cost to the College. Increasingly meetings are being held on line without recourse to paper minutes or reports. The increased use of the VLE will further reduce the production of class notes in hard copy. Default settings on new print equipment can reduce the use of colour or single sided copy. The annual budgeting round in the College will set targets for each functional area that anticipates savings of around 5% in total copy volume each year. With the development of an on line prospectus 20,000 fewer printed copies have been produced.

4 4. How have you delivered sustainable estate development through both maintenance and capital programme. With the completion of phase 4 of the New Campus development in early 2011 the College will start to benefit from a range of sustainability measures designed into the new build project. The new Campus has been carefully designed to meet current and future needs. Configuration of the new Campus involved learners and staff in a significant consultation exercise prior to and during the brief given to the design teams, (Balfour Beatty). This process giving a feeling of ownership and belonging to all concerned: It is anticipated that the new build project will achieve a Building Research Establishment; Environmental Assessment Measure (BREEAM) rating of Good. The new plant room together with the electronic building management system (BMS) provides the college with energy efficient heating that can be controlled in a flexible manner. A structured approach to Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) will deliver a superior environment for all College users together with optimising the use of resources over the life cycle of the building. At the design stage the Carbon Trust engaged with the College design team to reflect on opportunities to make the building as sustainable as possible often agreeing building standards in advance of current requirements as set out in legislation. For example maximise use was made of opportunities for natural ventilation. The revised Estates Strategy has set improved Energy Performance Certificate targets moving the College from C and D ratings to B and C+ Ratings. It is anticipated that the Main Langside Building will achieve an overall B rating. 5. Have you achieved sustainable and active travel through sustainable travel planning The College is required as a condition of planning consent for the New Langside Campus to produce a Green Travel Plan (GTP). The College travel plan is a package of measures aimed at promoting sustainable travel throughout the organisation. The main focus of the plan is the reduction of single occupancy vehicle travel in favour of a shift towards walking, cycling, public transport use and multioccupancy vehicle trips. Actions implemented by the College to date include: The appointment of a Travel Plan Co-ordinator currently the Estates Manager. This roles oversees the introduction, operation and monitoring of the Travel Plan. Cycling to work has been encouraged through the setting up a cycle to work scheme supported by the creation of 100 new secure cycle parking facilities. Staff have the option to purchase bicycles through a tax saving scheme agreed with HMRC.

5 New lockers have been provided in the New Campus to allow for storage of equipment together with the building of staff /student shower facilities. The creation of designated parking areas for staff car sharing. All laptops in the student refectory area contain information of transport. In addition the business school contains an info Point which provides travel information. Student surveys have developed to encourage greater use of public transport. Reduction in the number of external campuses from 4 to 1 reducing staff travel. 6. Have you engaged with suppliers / service providers on responsible procurement of goods and services With the introduction of the College Procurement Strategy a number of initiatives in the college have improved the processes around the procurement life cycle, leading to a reduction in resources used to procure and deliver goods and services. In particular the strategy requires: STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE NUMBER 5 - the Director of Corporate Services to provide leadership and policy on sustainability and corporate social and legislative responsibilities in the College s procurement. An independent assessment of progress made was carried out by Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC). This Procurement Capability Assessment (PCA) recognised the College had moved from simply complying with legislation to exhibiting good practice in this field. Langside College procures most goods and services through national framework agreements working in partnership was large companies who are required to exhibit sustainable procurement processes. Prepared By: Andrew Haddon 6 th May 2011