A new team in the Estate Management Division has been created to support the University’s commitment to reduce emissions across its estate and encourage sustainable behaviour across academic, teaching and administrative functions.
Reducing carbon emissions presents opportunities and challenges for everyone in higher education. As a university, we are in a unique position to lead the way through our research, teaching and by reducing our own carbon footprint.
Joanna Simpson, Head of Environment and Energy
The Environment and Energy Section will co-locate the currently separate Environment and Energy offices, and make a number of new appointments to support carbon reduction across the University.
Led by Joanna Simpson, the team will work closely with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Affairs and the Environmental Strategy Committee to review the University’s environmental policy and its practical implementation.
The new policy will have carbon reduction as a central feature but will embrace a range of environmental issues such as water, waste, pollution, travel, and sustainability more generally.
Establishing effective relationships with faculties and departments will be prioritised, with a new network of environment and energy coordinators being formed to champion centrally administered resources such as energy audits and environmental awareness training, and to share good practice.
The team also hopes to work closely with IT and buildings managers in departments. They are often best placed to make decisions on how energy emissions should be reduced, and a range of services will be introduced to help them carry out energy-reduction measures in their local areas.
Other key areas of work will be to support a number of academic pilot initiatives that are looking to establish the best ways of reducing emissions arising from generic causes of energy consumption, and working with the Energy and Carbon Reduction Project to implement the University’s Carbon Management Plan.
Joanna said: “Reducing carbon emissions presents opportunities and challenges for everyone in higher education. As a university, we are in a unique position to lead the way through our research, teaching and by reducing our own carbon footprint. The creation of this new section demonstrates the University’s commitment to environmental issues and we look forward to working with staff and students across the University to effect positive change.”
For further information on the Environment and Energy Section, or to register an interest in becoming a departmental environment and energy coordinator, email environment@admin.cam.ac.uk.