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Plymouth University
Description/achievement of initiative

Our strategic ambition relating to sustainability is: To be a customer focused, socially responsible organisation, demonstrating sustainability in our activities and ensuring our graduates are aware of economic, environmental, social and ethical issues including the importance of social enterprise, community engagement and volunteering. We are committed to strong environmental principles, a robust Carbon Management Plan, using locally sourced products and resources and a developed e-business model.In our business planning processes we set aspirational targets across a range of areas of the University in order to promote and measure rapid progress. For example, this includes targets of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, a 25% reduction in paper used by the University, and target procurement spend of 30% through local suppliers and SMEs.

Implementation methodologies

Sustainability is one of the University's core values and at the heart of our institutional strategy for the future. Plymouth has appeared within the top five institutions in People and Planet's Green League of HEIs, thanks to our commitment to embedding sustainability in the way we teach, the way we work in our community and with our partners, and the way we manage our estate. Plymouth University is strongly committed to building on our successes in this area, through our teaching, community engagement and world-class research activities. For example our new £19 million Marine Building will contain state-of-the-art research equipment for testing and developing sustainable marine energy devices, working in partnership with industry, charities, and Government. We continue to instil the values of social and environmental responsibility in our staff and students not only through our teaching methods and curriculum, but also through new sector-leading schemes such as our leadership of the national University Enterprise Network in Social Enterprise.

Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer

Coordination mechanisms/governance structure

Partner(s)

Plymouth University
Progress reports
Goal 4
2015
Marine Building
2015
University Enterprise Network in Social Enterprise
Staff / Technical expertise
Expertise of students and staff concerning sustainable development

Basic information
Time-frame: 2012 - 2015
Partners
Plymouth University
Countries
Contact information
Dr. Donald Birx, President, bweisenhauer@mail.plymouth.edu
United Nations