Environment | University

13 Feb 09

The University of Oxford is planning to make 2010 a greener year for the University and its colleges.

The University is currently recruiting a Head of Sustainability who will help to build on the work of the existing team working on such areas as; sustainable travel, energy conservation, sustainable development and waste management. The new role will bring a special focus to work on energy and energy management as this has been identified as the number one environmental concern. 

Oxford has already implemented a waste management and waste recycling strategy across a number of departments and is working towards a new contract for next year: the overall aim being to agree a comprehensive waste management strategy with its many colleges and departments by the end of 2009. This will help to substantially reduce the impact of waste from its 20,000-strong student population in the years to come.

Jennifer Wood, Oxford University’s Director of Estates said: ‘These measures will help to build on the many initiatives the University and its colleges have undertaken in recent years to help reduce carbon emissions and waste of all kinds. We believe our efforts will set the University on course for a cleaner, greener future.’

Examples of what Oxford University is already doing in this area include:

• A contract to purchase 100% of its electricity from a green energy provider
• A commitment to make all its new buildings energy-efficient by introducing technology such as ground source heat pumps,
• Offering ticket discounts and loans to members of staff who use public transport as well as money-off deals for those buying bicycles (less than 10 per cent of Oxford staff travel to work by car).