Birkbeck awarded EcoCampus Platinum Award
Birkbeck has been recognised for efforts to reduce its environmental impact.
Birkbeck has been recognised for efforts to reduce its environmental impact.
The College has been awarded the EcoCampus Platinum status – along with other Bloomsbury College University of London Environment Partners (SOAS and LSHTM). This is a dual award which also confers on the partner institutions the Certification to ISO 14001:2015 international standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS).
The EcoCampus initiative was initially set up and funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2005 (HEFCE) and is now a collaborative project between Nottingham Trent University and Loreus Ltd, an EMS software development & training consultancy.
Set up specifically for institutions in higher education, around 30% of the sector is enrolled on the scheme. The phased approach means that universities gain recognition for improved environmental performance through a series of awards; Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Platinum is the highest award and is equivalent to the ISO 14001:2015 EMS Standard.
“This Certification not only recognises the current progress with the College’s environment programme but also acknowledges the structures in place upon which further improvements can be made in the coming years – both in terms infrastructure and also cultural changes within the College community,” says Ola Bankole, Sustainability Manager at Birkbeck.
“For example, we have already made key investments in carbon reduction measures and are now looking ahead to reducing the College's carbon emissions by at least 25 per cent by the 2020/21 academic year, against the 2013/14 baseline.”
Immediate measures to further reduce the College's environmental impact include new recycling infrastructure being rolled out over the next month and a new online platform, EMPOWER, being launched in August, to enable staff to contribute to the College’s environmental ambitions whilst also being able to see the carbon equivalent of their individual efforts.
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