Developing the sustainability
organisation at Cambridge
Catrin Darsley
Environmental Coordinator, University of Cambridge
Structure of the University
• 19,000 resident students
• >10,000 staff (inc post-doc researchers)
Complex structure, simple principles
• Evolved over 800 years
• Self-governance: devolved management
structure
• Bureaucratic – but highly democratic
Challenges
• Colleges are independent institutions
• Extensive ( >300 buildings) and dispersed estate, not a campus
• World-leading science and engineering research activity
• Massive demand for electricity; 78,000 tons CO2 emissions p.a.; £16m spent
on energy last year
• Administrative challenges
• Fierce independence, devolved decision-making
• Departments make local decisions, but central budget
• High cost of sub-metering across the estate, and of administering
accounts, prevents distribution of energy costs to individual buildings.
Structure: The Environment & Energy Section
Director of Estate Strategy
Prof. Jeremy Sanders
FRS,
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
for Institutional
Affairs
Joanna Chamberlain,
Head of Environment
and Energy
Paula Ellis,
Administrator
Toby Balson,
Environmental
Officer
Lisa Rodmell,
Energy
Manager
Sally Pidgeon,
Carbon
Reduction
Manager
Xiang Cheng,
Building Energy
Manager
Rebekah Ward
Energy
Assistant
Catrin Darsley,
Environmental
Coordinator
Claire Hopkins,
Living Lab for
Sustainability
Coordinator
Leila McElvenney,
Environment and
Energy Assistant
Building
Energy
Manager
Travel Plan
Manager
Key mechanism 1:
Engage and enthuse senior
management to create greater
opportunities for positive change
Structure: sustainability reporting
University Council
Buildings Committee
Planning and Resources Committee (PRC)
Environmental Strategy Committee
(Chair: Pro-Vice-Chancellor for
Institutional Affairs)
Energy and Carbon
Reduction Project (ECRP)
Estate Management
(Head: Director of Estate Strategy)
Environment and Energy Section
Key mechanism 2:
Use external policy to support the
need for internal change
External policy: driving internal change
• The Higher Education Funding Council for
England (HEFCE) requires UK universities to
have a carbon management plan.
 Capital funding is linked to performance
in reducing emissions.
• BREEAM policy within the Estates Strategy –
target Excellent with a minimum of Very Good
• Local planning requirements for travel
management
Key mechanism 3:
Make sure that your team and goals
take account of your organisational
structure.
Strategic oversight and
development
Administration and
waste management
Buildings; EMS;
Environmental Policy
Energy
conservation,
compliance &
contracts
EMS; website; Travel
Plan implementation;
waste & recycling
Living Lab: student
and estate projects
Carbon
reduction
Energy & water
data and
conservation
E&E data analysis and
reporting; environmental
behaviour programmes
Energy & carbon
efficiency
measures
Cambridge’s key mechanisms
• Engage and enthuse senior management to create greater
opportunities for positive change
• Use external policy to support the need for internal change
• Make sure that your team and goals take account of your
organisational structure.