An audience with HEFCE

EAUC conference

1 April 2008

Joanna SimpsonPolicy Adviser

Our vision

Within the next 10 years, the higher education sector in this country will be recognised as a major contributor to society's efforts to achieve sustainability - through the skills and knowledge that its graduates learn and put into practice, and through its own strategies and operations.

Sustainable development in higher education (HEFCE 2005/28)

Our strategy in 2008

Developing our next action plan

• SD steering group

• Working with stakeholders

• Challenges and opportunities

• Public consultation in summer

Proposed objectives

• Continue to raise the profile of sustainable development, with the aim that it should become a mainstream part of university and college activities.

• Seek ‘win-win’ opportunities for the sector to engage in this agenda by helping to identify sector-wide business cases and benefits for individual institutions.

• Promote sustainable development by integrating it in our policy-making processes and being open about the often hard choices made.

Proposed objectives

• Demonstrate to stakeholders that HEFCE and higher education institutions are making genuine efforts to promote sustainable development and to develop good practice and tools.

• Support sector-led capacity building to pursue this agenda across all of an HEI’s functions. This will be based on existing frameworks and activity and through supporting innovative and novel projects.

• Facilitate a carbon reduction culture to significantly reduce carbon emissions across the sector.

From Secretary of State, John Denham

• 2050 climate change target

• Plans to reduce carbon emissions – factor in future capital allocations

• Revolving Green Fund

Grant letter

Revolving Green Fund• Partnership between HEFCE and Salix

• £30-40 million over 3 years

• Repayable grants to undertake projects which reduce greenhouse gas emissions

• Proven technologies and innovative projects

• Public consultation – deadline 21 April 2008

• Great deal has been done – diversity of approaches

• Momentum for change needs to continue and increase

• Baseline of SD activity

• Raise further the SD debate = greater understanding and engagement

• Available on the HEFECE website

Strategic review

Strategic review – key findings

• approximately two-thirds of institutions are engaged in sustainable development related research

• although some institutions are fully committed to sustainability, the level of involvement is uneven

• the place of sustainable development in the curriculum is varied and not yet well connected with the skills agenda

• environmental performance across the estate is varied and improving performance is an investment challenge, given the age and condition of many university buildings.

Building good practiceSD resource guide: www.hefce.ac.uk/susdevresources

Leadership, Governance and Management Fund

• GreenBuild – University of Bradford & HEEPI

• Legacy of the 1960s Estate – University of Bath

• EcoCampus – Nottingham Trent University

• Reuse in hall – London School of Economics

Strategic Development Fund

• Sustainable Energy Centre – London South Bank University

• Ecoversity StuDent – University of Bradford

• Corporate Social Responsibility Policy

– ISO14001

• Annual CSR report and Environmental Performance Indicators

• Main environmental impacts

– Business travel and commuting

– Energy and water use

– Waste management

– Procurement

HEFCE’s own operations

My questions

• What do you think should be the priorities of our next action plan?

• Do you have any comments on our proposed revolving green fund?

• Do you feel that there are specific areas where we should facilitate the building and dissemination of good practice

Discussion

Further information

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/lgm/sustain/

Joanna Simpson

j.simpson@hefce.ac.uk

0117 9317411