Today, 2 July, the Vice Chancellor Adam Tickell wrote to all staff. You can read the full View from the VC below:
Dear colleague,
I am delighted to share with you today our new sustainability strategy for the University of Sussex. Sustainable Sussex is both a vision and a blueprint for a new beginning for sustainability at the University.
Our ambition is simple and clear: to be one of the most sustainable universities in the world. We will show global leadership in all forms of environmental, social and economic sustainability.
To achieve this, we will need to go much further and faster than we ever have before. This is why our strategy includes targets measured against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, such as:
- a new net zero target for 2035, achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere - including direct and indirect emissions
- new standards for waste – increasing our recycling rate from 17% to 50% by 2025
- a new sustainable procurement framework that sets out the ethical, social, and environmental standards we expect of our suppliers
- embedding sustainability into all aspects of student learning, experience and research
We’re seeking staff and student volunteers to lead on different aspects of the strategy. All staff can sign up now to become a sustainable transport, climate, or waste champion and will soon be able to apply to co-lead on implementing aspects of the strategy.
Our students have a big role to play too. We are today launching a £20,000 competition for the best student proposals to maximise our sustainability in areas of water, waste, food or travel. We’d be delighted if you could join us for the culmination of the competition, at a flagship event in the ACCA and livestreamed online on 27 July. You can book your in-person place or register to attend online now.
Click the image to read the Sustainable Sussex strategy now -
you can also read the Sustainable Sussex action plan
The Sustainability team will also be running a series of webinars and attending School and Divisional meetings in August and September, where you can learn more about the strategy and ask questions. We will publish details of these shortly, so please do look out for that.
As a global university strongly rooted in our community, we also want to do whatever we can support local charities doing valuable work on sustainability. Keep an eye out later in the summer when we’ll provide more detail about a new staff volunteering allowance starting in the new academic year.
Universities exist to answer the big questions – and there is no bigger question than how we build a sustainable planet. This strategy is the combined effort of the Sussex community and a dedicated Sustainability Team. We want to build a better Sussex, for a better world – and a key part of Sustainable Sussex is you.
With best wishes,
Adam