Sustainability Strategy
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.
Estate management
- Biodiversity Management Plan
- Carbon Reduction Management Plan
- Carbon Reduction Policy
- Student accommodation
- Fossil free pledge
- Waste and recycling information for staff (login required)
- Waste and recycling information for students (login required)
Transport
- Sustainable Transport Policy
- Electric car charging - POD point Twin user guide
- Bike Policy
- Travel Plan (web version)
- Bath Spa Travel Plan (full version)
- Sustainable and Active Travel Champions – a group of staff and students from across the University (for information, email: environment@bathspa.ac.uk)
- Sustainable transport information for staff (login required)
- Sustainable transport information for students (login required)
Procurement (including food and Fairtrade)
- Bath Spa University is a member of the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium, which is signed up to Electronics Watch
- Fairtrade Policy
- Sustainable Food Policy
- Fish and seafood sold through our catering outlets is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (certificate of accreditation)
- Sustainable Food and Fairtrade Working Group – terms of reference
- Sustainable Procurement Working Group - terms of reference
- Flexible Framework implementation
- Sustainable Procurement Policy
Health and wellbeing
- People Strategy (login required)
- Staff Equality Policy
- Staff Employee Wellbeing Policy (login required)
- Safety Health and Environment Policy (login required)
- Students’ Union Strategic Plan 2016-2020
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
- Signatory of NCCPE’s Manifesto for Public Engagement
- Campus food growing project - Bath Spa Grow Op
- The Seasons Food Enterprise - Aiming to create a sustainable, self-sufficient food enterprise that puts back into the community (students and wider community)
- Student Community Partnership - GREEN Group (Green Resources Energy and Environment Network Group)
- Pack for Good (login required)
- Sustainable Green Travel Week
- Sustainability events - for details of upcoming events please visit our Facebook or Instagram. We run events throughout the year including Green and Sustainable travel weeks.
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:
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.