Queen's Carbon Journey

Queen’s vision is to become a low carbon organisation, by reducing our carbon emissions and providing a high quality and sustainable working and learning environment for students and staff.  To help achieve this the University have produced a Carbon Management Plan (CMP) which sets out the plans to reduce carbon emissions by 2020.

Environmental Statement

Student Plus is committed to reducing the amount of waste going to landfill by encouraging staff and visitors to recycle and using recycled items where possible and to reducing energy consumption within the Directorate through various means including the Switch Off Campaign.

Reduce waste and increase recycling                      

• Think before you print.
• Print double-sided where possible.                 
• Avoid making multiple copies of large documents.  Instead, use summary pages, PowerPoint presentations, online documents and emails.
• For all reusable waste paper (non-confidential) there is a basket on Sharon’s desk beside the printer.  The paper will be reused and made into note pads.
• In order to reduce the number of hand-outs printed for meetings we would ask that documentation is sent out electronically where possible and, if appropriate, that attendees are asked if they require a hard copy.  If a hard copy is essential please ensure that you opt for double sided printing.
• We would also like to remind you that Queen’s has teleconferencing, video-conference facilities and/or Skype as an alternative to long distance travelling to meetings.  For more information click here.

WARPit

WARPit is a network that allows staff to redistribute unwanted and underused assets within Queen’s. 

Why use WARPit?

Money: By making sharing resources easy, WARPit helps the University cut procurement costs by avoiding unnecessary purchases and by allowing the university to share with other local organizations.

Embracing a low carbon future: Re-using unwanted items instead of buying new has major environmental benefits.  It reduces waste to landfill, cuts carbon emissions and saves natural resource which get depleted when making new items.  WARPit is part of the University’s embracing a low carbon future campaign for a more sustainable university.

Community: It is also a way of ‘giving back’ to the community. The site allows local organizations (such as schools and local charities) to access any unwanted resources which are unclaimed internally.

For more information on WARPit click here.

What we are doing?

• Staff have a key role to play in improving the University’s environmental performance.  Small changes can make a huge impact when it comes to reducing our carbon emissions.
• The Student Plus team are aiming to achieve the Bronze and Silver Green Impact Awards for 2015-16. Green Impact is an environmental accreditation scheme with an awards element designed for university  departments, in which, University staff take part each academic year to carry out a number of environmental actions to make their workplaces greener
• Staff actively recycle paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminum cans and tins, ink and toner cartridges, batteries and books and are hoping to begin to recycle food waste in the near future.
• As part of Green Week, staff participated in a Stationery Amnesty gathering unwanted stationery and distributing it throughout the department preventing items going to landfill.
• Staff actively try to reduce energy consumption by ensuring they switch off all PCs, monitors, laptops and phone chargers overnight and at weekends.

Travel Guide

If you are travelling to Queen’s a handy guide has been developed detailing differing travel modes to and from the University along with sustainable alternatives for each travel mode.  A key feature of the guide is a map detailing all public transport links to the majority of University buildings (kindly produced by Translink).  To download an electronic copy, please click here.   

Environmental Policy Statement

Queen’s University Belfast recognises that its activities impact on the environment at local, regional and global levels. The University acknowledges that the protection of the environment is fundamental to the future health and well-being of all those involved with the institution and the wider community.

The University accepts the responsibility of demonstrating sustainable leadership in environmental protection and enhancement through its actions as an institution. In providing high quality educational, research and workplace facilities, the University is committed to ensuring its environmental impact is minimised. The University also accepts its responsibility to make sure it grows and develops in a sustainable way with continuous improvement in environmental performance embedded into its business model and the culture of the University.

In support of these principles, the University is committed to:

• Complying with all relevant environmental legislation, regulations and other requirements
• Monitoring, controlling and improving its environmental performance through the implementation of an Environmental Management System within the Estates 
• Directorate and Purchasing Office
• Mitigating the University’s negative impact on climate change through the implementation of the Carbon Management Plan, designed to reduce emissions
• Reducing and, where possible, preventing pollution through the development of effective resource and waste management strategies
• Incorporating sustainable construction principles and practices into the development and refurbishment of the estate
• Promoting sustainable modes of transport including walking, use of public transport, car-sharing and cycling through the implementation of the Travel Plan
• Managing the University’s grounds to protect and enhance wildlife habitats through the formulation and implementation of a Biodiversity Policy
• Integrating environmental sustainability considerations into University policies and procedures
• Embedding sustainability within the University’s teaching and research portfolios 
• Promoting environmental awareness and responsibility amongst all staff and students

For more information on Carbon Management at Queen’s please click here.