Skip to main content
Sustainability Strategy – Bath Spa University

Our sustainability vision is to create sustainability-minded, socially-engaged global citizens, by using sustainability principles to guide our values, actions and curricula, and by leading by example.

Our Sustainability Policy sets out the aim to minimise our impacts and continually improve our environmental performance, and our Sustainability Strategy shows how we'll deliver this focused on seven key themes.

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.

Sustainable Financial Management

To ensure our investments do not support destructive sectors, such as the fossil fuel industry, and to ensure they support sustainable development, we have developed a Responsible Investment Policy, which is overseen by a Financial Portfolio Committee, with clear Terms of Reference.

Community engagement
Social enterprise

We're a certified Social Enterprise under the CIC Mark and are currently applying for Gold Standard.

We’re also a certified member of Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) – the leading global authority and largest network of social enterprises in the UK.

Here are a few metrics of how we are doing:

An infographic showing the statistics for our social impact on staff in the academic year 2021/22An infographic showing the statistics for our social impact on students in the academic year 2021/22An infographic showing the statistics for our social impact on the community in the academic year 2021/22

The Students’ Union at Bath Spa also has a strong sustainable and ethical ethos. 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.
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 - Head of Financial Operations 
  • 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

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

  • Emma Jakins - Sustainability Coordinator

    e.jakins@bathspa.ac.uk
    +44 (0) 1225875862
  • 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

  • John Evered - Planning Coordinator

    Responsible for waste and recycling logistics.

    j.evered2@bathspa.ac.uk
    +44 (0) 1225875765

  • Colin Scoines - Procurement Specialist

    Responsible for sustainability in procurement and development of ISO20400

    c.scoines@bathspa.ac.uk
    +44 (0) 1225875504
  • 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.

Edit section | Website feedback to web@bathspa.ac.uk