Green Focus – Bath Spa University

We take our responsibility to protect the environment very seriously.

On 27 Feburary 2020 Bath Spa University and Bath Spa University Student Union jointly delared a climate emergency. In support of this, the University signed a fossil free pledge in November 2020.

Bath Spa University has participated in the People and Planet Green League table since 2009, achieving two top 10 positions in that time.

We manage our environmental impacts through the internationally recognised standard ISO14001, which specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS) covering all activities and sites. Our environmental manual sets out the intended outcomes of the EMS and how we ensure compliance with the standard. Our environmental planner sets out our objectives, targets and responsibilities.

We support the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are signatories to the SDG Accord, a worldwide collaboration of universities, committed to delivering the Goals. As part of our support for the SDGs, we are mapping our curriculum, research, business practice and partnership-building against the Goals, in order to understand where we are doing well and where we can improve. This is our first SDG Report on progress so far. It's a huge task and there will always be much to do but it's helping us to play a meaningful role in making a better world.

We have taken a number of actions on single-use plastics, and have produced a rationale for why we have taken these steps.

In July 2020, we became one of a small handful of UK universities to have been awarded the International standard for energy management ISO50001. This gives us confidence that we're managing our energy consumption and carbon emissions in the best way we can and supports our Net Zero Carbon 2030 target. Since 2016, all our electricity has come from certified renewable sources.

Sustainability strategy

Our Sustainability Policy sets out the aim to minimise our impacts and continually improve environmental performance, and our Sustainability Strategy shows how we will deliver this focused on seven key themes, supporting documentation for the strategy can be found below:

Education for sustainability

Transport

Procurement (including food and Fairtrade)

Health and wellbeing

We provide free drinking water in all our academic buildings across the Bath Spa estate. You can find all our publicly available mains-fed water fountains on the Refill app. We provide these not only for people’s health and wellbeing but also to reduce our dependence on single-use disposable bottles of water.

Community engagement

The Student’s Union at Bath Spa also has a strong sustainable and ethical ethos and they have signed up to the NUS Green Impact Award. Environmental Management at the Students’ Union is part of Bath Spa University’s ISO14001 EMS. The Students’ Union building is owned and run by the University and is covered by the Carbon Reduction Management Plan. 

Managing sustainability

Sustainability Steering Group

The Sustainability Steering Group (SSG) is responsible for:

  • Overseeing the direction of sustainability at Bath Spa
  • Reviewing relevant policies and strategies
  • Reporting compliance of environmental audits along with recommendations and corrective actions
  • Changes in aspects, impacts and changes
  • Briefed on any changes to environmental legislation that affect the business
  • Reporting on how the University meets its objectives and targets
  • Reviews complaints and incidents
  • Resources.

Sustainability Steering Group members

  • Paul Fox - Pro-Vice Chancellor, Finance and Infrastructure - Chair of SSG
  • Neil Sammells – Deputy Vice-Chancellor Provost
  • Becky Schaaf - Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Student Experience
  • Richard Jordan – Director of Estates and Services
  • Andy Williams – Deputy Head of Estates and Services
  • Tracy Banks - Financial Operations Manager
  • Arlene Stone – Director of Human Resources
  • Sara Gallagher - Head of Student Wellbeing Services
  • Andy Salmon - Pro-Vice-Chancellor, External
  • John Strachan - Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Enterprise
  • Student Union President
  • Julian Greaves – Sustainability Manager
  • Sara Cundy – Sustainability Co-ordinator

In attendance/circulation of papers

  • Jane Conibere - Senior Chancelry Administrator (minutes)

Meet the Sustainability team

  • Paul Fox - Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Finance and Infrastructure

    Chair of the Sustainability Steering Group and overall responsibility for the University's sustainability strategic direction.

    p.fox@bathspa.ac.uk

  • Julian Greaves – Sustainability Manager

    Developing the University’s Sustainability Strategy, Energy and Environmental Management.

    j.greaves@bathspa.ac.uk
    +44 (0) 1225 875846

  • Sam Henderson – Energy Performance Officer

    Energy data analysis, BMS Optimisation, Support for Sustainability Manager

    s.henderson@bathspa.ac.uk
    +44 (0) 1225 875846

  • Sara Cundy – Sustainability Co-ordinator

    Support for EMS Manager, lead officer for sustainable transport, food, Fairtrade, Environmental activities and programmes communications, staff and student engagement, working with Student Community Partnership.

    s.cundy@bathspa.ac.uk
    +44 (0)1225 876282


  • David Tinkham – Technical Manger

    Operational management, co-ordinating protocols for environmental protection at Sion Hill and BSAD satellite sites including hazardous waste management.

    d.tinkham@bathspa.ac.uk
    +44 (0)1225 875475

  • Penny Snowden – Grounds Manager

    Grounds management, implementation of Biodiversity and Habitat Management Plan, pollution prevention

    p.snowden@bathspa.ac.uk
    +44 (0)1225 876249

  • Ceri Davies – Technical Demonstrator 

    Responsible for hazardous waste at Newton Park

    c.davies7@bathspa.ac.uk

  • Kate Rigby – Professor of Environmental Humanities

    Education for a Sustainable Future Lead

    k.rigby@bathspa.ac.uk
    +44 (0)1225 875626
  • Green Communicators – Student Employees

    Communicating sustainability issues to their peers.  

    Please sign-up with the JobShop to be notified of any upcoming vacancies to the team.
  • Green Communicator – Student Placement

    Sustainability related project work: every year we offer the opportunity for a current student to spend an extended period of time working with the team on a specific project related to Sustainability at Bath Spa. Please contact Sara Cundy for more information.

Communications

  • Communications strategy
  • All new starters undertake an induction programme, which includes coverageof the university sustainability policy, ISO14001 and areas for staff to engage in environmental activities. The sustainability team also sends out a welcome email.

Current students and staff

If you're currently member of our community, we have a wealth of information on our Intranet pages (login required). You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or email queries through to environment@bathspa.ac.uk

Logo for ISO14001 accreditation provided by NQA.

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