EAUC conference review
Learning and Legacy: The Role of Education in Creating Healthier, Happier Cities. A report of the EAUC Annual Conference 2016
Educational institutions and the cities and towns they operate in have a special sort of relationship. Over time, the institution takes on some of the individual character of its local area, while in turn injecting new life and ideas into the community. Many universities and colleges are so intrinsically linked with their local area that they can barely be separated, becoming a proud symbol of the city’s success and ambition.
The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) 20th Annual Conference, held at the University of the West of England (UWE), on 25-26 May 2016 sought to explore this relationship. The purpose of this event was to look beyond the status quo and to explore how tertiary education institutions can influence the space they operate in. How can institutions make their towns and cities healthier and happier for students and neighbours alike?
Overview
Over 330 of EAUC’s members came to participate in this conference, representing a broad range of professions from within the sector. Attendees included Principals, Pro Vice Chancellors, Directors of Estates, Finance and Resources, plus a range of other staff covering areas as diverse as procurement, sustainability professionals and academia, from both Higher and Further education. It was encouraging to see this wide range of roles at the conference, as it is evidence that the issue of sustainability is beginning to be tackled with a whole institution approach.
In keeping with the theme of partnership between education and cities, Bristol proved to be the ideal place to hold the conference. Exploring the legacy of the city’s 2015 European Green Capital status allowed attendees to see the real benefits that come when education, business, local authorities and many other stakeholders come together with a common vision of improving the area they live in, not only for themselves, but for future generations.
Conference hosts UWE played a central role in providing the evidence of the sustainability credentials of the city as well as providing financial and intellectual resources to support the bidding process. After the successful bid, the city of Bristol rose to the challenge and brought the community together to enact lasting change. This legacy is being continued with a project, where Bristol’s two universities are working together to keep the ethos of the Green capital alive by delivering the ‘Green Capital: Student Capital’ programme, which will deliver 100,000 hours of student sustainability engagement in the city.
Sharing Best Practice
Content for every Annual Conference is drawn from the universities and colleges that make up the EAUC’s membership. For 2016, there was an overwhelming number of high quality ideas, projects and knowledge put forward for the programme. The task of choosing what to include wasn’t an easy one and it fell to the EAUC’s Member Advisory Council (MAC) to make the final decision. While not all proposals could be included, the broad spectrum of topics demonstrated the depth of sustainability innovation happening within the sector.
The estates and operations theme in particular had a number of highlights, including:
· The Journey to ISO 14001– In this workshop session IEMA’s Chief Policy Advisor, Martin Baxter, outlined the key changes in the new standard. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and hear how Manchester University became the first university to achieve the new standard.
· Best for Bugs, Butterflies, Birds and Bees: How to Provide Real Biodiversity Benefits to Your Campus – Attendees were given a broad view of biodiversity on campus and received a range of effective and in many cases low-cost measures that they can implement on their own campuses. Attendees were also highlighted to the EAUC’s Biodiversity on Campus Practical Guide, which can be found at www.sustainability exchange.ac.uk.
· Reducing Carbon Emissions in a Growing University – The University of Nottingham presented the many interventions, both big and small, made since 2010 to reduce the University’s carbon footprint with a particular focus on Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.
· The Future of Sustainability Reporting – This workshop presented the findings of the Green Scorecard pilot and gave attendees the opportunity to find out about the scorecard. The EAUC Report on the future of sustainability reporting beyond estates was discussed and this will be out in the summer.
These are just a few of the wide topics discussed on the subject of estates and campuses, along with further sessions on learning and teaching, partnerships and engagement and leadership. Attendees went away with many new tools and ideas to take back to their own institutions. To ensure that the knowledge imparted at the conference continues to have an impact, all resources are available to view for free on the EAUC’s sustainability hub www.sustainabilityexchange.ac.uk . Attendees were also invited to attend the annual Food for Life Gold accredited Gala Dinner, which was accompanied by UWE’s excellent jazz band.
The conference was opened with an engaging keynote panel discussion, led by representatives from both UWE and the University of Bristol, exploring Bristol’s year as the 2015 European Green Capital and the opportunities, challenges and legacy of the year. This set the tone for a series of interesting speakers and following lunch, Mike Barry, Director of Sustainable Business at Marks & Spencer shared his thoughts on how the COP21 Climate Deal and the launch of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals mark a shift in thinking regarding global climate change. Mike challenged attendees to adopt the maxim that ‘doing ‘less bad’ isn’t enough’ and stated that it is now time to create a new 21st Century sustainable economy, with cities and universities and colleges being crucial to that change.
On day two, David Orr, the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies & Politics EMERITUS and Counsellor to the President at Oberlin College, USA, joined usin the morning to discuss sustainable communities and gave a fascinating range of insights with a truly global perspective. This was an especially inspiring session as many attendees gained their passion for sustainability through reading David’s work. The conference was brought to a close by Mac Macartney, founder of Embercome – a Devon based charity that seeks to inspire people to create a just, peaceful and sustainable world. Mac delivered an engaging session entitled ‘A Bed Time Story’ which challenged the audience to look at how they embrace sustainability within their own lives.
Learning from Industry
Delegates were invited to attend the exhibition space, which this year hosted 47 stands from a range of exhibitors including the conference headline sponsor Carbon Credentials, displays of sustainability initiatives from the host institution UWE, and charities that provide support with sustainability engagement.
In keeping with the sustainability ethos of the event, all refreshments and food were Fairtrade, with lunches being Food for Life Gold accredited. This was one of many measures intended to ensure the conference had a minimal environmental impact. Exhibitors were discouraged from bringing excess handouts, and delegates cut down on the paper used in printing programmes by using the conference app. The app was provided by Guidebook for the second year running as part of their continuing sustainability ethos to develop a smart and comprehensive digital alternative to a conference brochure.
Looking to the future
EAUC are keen to ensure that they are in the best possible position to support their members for the next 20 years and beyond. The EAUC will therefore undertake a full strategic review in 2016, encompassing all areas of Higher Education work and business.
The review will look forward and ask ‘what will education and sustainability look like in 2030?’, and what shape must the EAUC take to effectively support its members? During the AGM, and from their own exhibition stand, EAUC sought out members’ voices, views, opinions and questions to feed into this member-centred review. EAUC recognise that it is the strength and support of their members that drives them forward in achieving their mission to embed sustainability in the tertiary education sector.
EAUC want to extend a huge thank you to all attendees, speakers and contributors that made the 2016 Annual Conference a success. If you wish to receive information about EAUC’s work and support, becoming an educational or company member, or updates regarding the 2017 Annual Conference, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., visit www.eauc.org.uk