University celebrates a Decade of Green

For ten consecutive years the University of Northampton has maintained the highest Green Accreditation with the Investors in the Environment (iiE) and is one of only eight organisations in the country to achieve the milestone.

iiE’s accreditation system, which assesses organisations on their environmental management and sustainability practices, ranks achievements at three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Green—with Green being the highest.

UON first achieved Green status in 2015 and has retained it ever since, demonstrating a long-term commitment to reducing its environmental impact.

UON’s Vice Chancellor and CEO, Professor Anne-Marie Kilday, said: “You might say University of Northampton is able to maintain high sustainability and low emissions because we were able to build and open a modern campus in 2018 with sustainability as a core principle.

“But UON had already been at the iiE’s highest level for several years by then and proves once again that Universities are places of forethought and innovation.

“In many ways the new campus is a result of that forward thinking mindset, a mindset that has allowed us to keep ahead of the curve and constantly ready to adopt new ways of doings things.

“What’s more, the accreditation recognises that we are pulling others along with us by taking sustainability out of the classroom and research labs, and into our communities and businesses through our annual Sustainability Summit and our Towards Net Zero initiatives.

“I congratulate our Environment Team, past and present, for delivering on University of Northampton’s sustainability ambitions and for everyone using the campus for doing their part by reducing waste, saving energy or taking public or active transport, and all those small things that add up to a big impact.”

UON’s Decade of Green credentials, include:

• Significant Carbon Reduction – since the baseline year of 2018–19, UON has cut its annual carbon emissions by 27 per cent, reducing from 5,609 tonnes to 4,076 tonnes of CO2.
• Sustainable Campus Design – the move to Waterside Campus enabled major innovations, including energy-efficient lighting systems, water-saving measures and the Biomass energy centre which provides hot water and heating for the campus using wood chipping from local company, Wilby Tree and accounts for nearly 50 per cent of UON’s emissions reduction.
• Zero Waste to Landfill – apart from inert ash from the energy centre, which is repurposed for landfill topping, all other waste generated by the University is recycled, converted to energy, or anaerobically digested.
• Wildlife-Friendly Initiatives – in addition to the grounds being landscaped in a way that is friendly to wildlife, the University is also accredited by the Hedgehog Friendly Campus program.
• Community Engagement – In conjunction with local authorities, businesses and third sector groups, UON hosts a Sustainability Summit every year that showcases best practice and the latest in sustainability. That has led to the Towards Net Zero West Northants Initiative, which in turn led the University to a launch a free carbon calculator for small and medium sized businesses.

Underscoring the University’s ability to collaborate with its community, Northampton General Hospital is also one of the other eight institutions to hold the Decade of Green Award.

The iiE accreditation process is rigorous, requiring organisations to maintain an Environmental Management System (EMS), track and report carbon footprints, and demonstrate continuous improvement. Applicable to organisations of all sizes and from all sectors, it has recently expanded its membership to Europe with further plans to extend further afield in development.

Camilla Sherwin, Senior Consultant and Partnerships Lead at iiE, said: “UON’s environmental management and carbon reduction activities have firm foundations; a lot of good work has been done over the past decade.

“There is still progress to be made, however, and challenges to face – not least the fact that success relies upon the support of a large, ever-changing audience.

“We hope that the award brings fresh enthusiasm to UON’s work to thread sustainability through every aspect of its work – through its courses, its external projects and internal operations.

“Good environmental performance saves money, improves reputation, changes organisational culture and, in UON’s case, embeds sustainability into the mindsets and skillsets of the workforce of the future.”

This year also marks the first time iiE accreditation has been recognised by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), further validating its importance in the sector.