It's Green Week

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Shining a light on sustainability at BSU

Today is Earth Day, but it's just the start of Bath Spa University’s annual ‘Green Week’, celebrating our commitment to sustainability and protecting the environment.

Staff and students across our entire BSU community work hard all year round to ensure the University’s natural spaces are protected and enhanced. We take considered actions to have as small an impact on the planet as possible.  

Celebrating sustainability

This week, staff and students can join a selection of activities which celebrate the many ways we can do our part to help the environment, including:

• a sustainable travel roadshow
• Vinyl Vintage clothes sales
• a campus sustainability workshop
• a DIY earrings workshop
• a day of wildlife surveying at Newton Park
• campus litter picking
• a talk from Roots Allotments
• clothes swaps
• a sustainability fair
• a visit from Share and Repair

Sustainability isn’t just for Green Week 

Protecting the environment is high on BSU’s agenda all year round. Bath Spa University campuses are shared with an impressive range of flora and fauna. In fact, BSU is the 17th greenest university in the UK, ranked in the first class category of the People & Planet University League 2023/24.

A cross section of the University community, including our incredible grounds team, sustainability specialists, as well as many of our students and staff, are dedicated to protecting the environment. 

On a journey to net zero carbon emissions

In 2010 Bath Spa University embarked on a 10-year carbon and energy reduction plan, which it successfully delivered two years ahead of time in 2018.

The University pledged to go even further, implementing its second Carbon Reduction Management Plan, with the aim of reaching a target of net zero emissions by 2030.

From 2012 to 2022 the University has cut its emissions in half, from 4000 tonnes a year to 2000 tonnes a year, and the journey continues to reduce this further.  

Everyone can do their bit to help

Even a small change in your regular coffee run can make a difference on the journey to net zero. BSU has taken action on single-use plastics, introducing a returnable coffee cup scheme early this year. 

The 'Refill Return Cup' scheme means downloading the Refill app from a handy QR code in participating outlets, purchase a hot drink, and then return the cup to any of the five outlets after. So far, in just four months, the scheme is quickly heading for 3000 single-use cups saved. 

Bespoke training is coming for staff and students

BSU’s Sustainability Team has been developing an innovative, bespoke Carbon Literacy training course for all our staff and students. 

Due to be launched this year and accredited by Carbon Literacy Project, the course will raise awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities on campus. It will provide the knowledge and motivation to reduce emissions as an individual, and as a university, and participants can become certified as carbon literate.

Our environmental management system is internationally recognised

We have recently been recertified for the ISO14001 International Standard for Environmental Management Systems and ISO50001 Energy Management Systems. This means BSU manages environmental impacts to a high standard across all activities and sites.

Speaking about these accolades, Emma Jakins, Sustainability Co-ordinator said:

“These are highly accredited international standards that prove we work hard to protect the environment and improve energy consumption, and that we hold ourselves accountable to our promises. They are something to be proud of and take a lot of work across the university to achieve and maintain year on year.”

Find out more about sustainability at Bath Spa University