SUSTAINABILITY POLICY Introduction 1 The university has a long-standing commitment to sustainability and intends to achieve institution-wide excellence in contributing to a sustainable future. The university recognizes that there are interrelated cultural, economic, social and technological, as well as environmental, dimensions to the sustainability agenda, which is itself continuously evolving. The university already enjoys a significant reputation for sustainability-related learning, teaching and research, and estates provision, a reputation it intends to build further as it plays its part in national and international efforts to embed sustainability in higher education. 2 The university’s focus is on: Acknowledging the threats posed by human actions to life-sustaining natural environments and developing an understanding of and commitment to actions directed to diminishing or removing those threats and so ensuring a legacy for future generations, human and otherthan-human; Enabling individuals and communities to achieve their potential in ways which protect their futures as well as enhance the well-being and resilience of the planet’s life-support systems; Developing an understanding that cultural, economic, social, environmental and technological change processes are dynamically interconnected and mutually impacting. 3 The university recognises that it operates across a range of roles. It is an educator of current and future generations of citizens and professionals living in a world of increasing complexity and uncertainty; it is a key contributor to the knowledge economy; it is also a significant regional employer making decisions and taking actions that have a profound impact on sustainability prospects in the South West. 4 In pursuance of its sustainability commitments, the university is a signatory and endorsee of a range of international inter-university concordats to promote sustainability in higher education. http://csf.plymouth.ac.uk/?q=concordats Institutional approach 5 The university has adopted a whole institution ‘4C’ approach to taking forward the sustainability agenda. The agenda has significance for Curriculum: learning and teaching, academic research and scholarship, and enterprise activity that inform and illuminate sustainability understandings and practices. Campus: the conducting of social relations and the management of the university’s estate, procurement policies, travel and transport arrangements, learning facilities and student support according to sustainability principles. Community: engagement with local and regional organisations, both public and private sector, faith and issue groups across the region, and the range of national, international and virtual communities with which it interacts, in advancing the sustainability agenda. Culture: recognizing that a commitment to transformation involves significant challenges to engrained assumptions and practices, and developing opportunities for renewal, adaptive capacity and innovation. 1 In this context, Culture forms the all-embracing context within which Curriculum, Campus and Community are mutually embedded and mutually enhancing spheres of engagement and development. Curriculum 6 The university Recognises the importance of developing sustainability-literate graduates possessing the skills and dispositions necessary for engagement with the sustainability agenda as professionals, citizens and in their personal lives; Commits to engaging all students with sustainability concepts and issues in an appropriate context through learning; Recognises the need for students to appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of the sustainability agenda; Invites all disciplines to consider how they might best embed sustainability within their curricula and utilise the learning and research opportunities provided by campus and community sustainability initiatives. Campus 7 The university Commits to practices that minimise the possibility of negative environmental, social, economic and technological impacts; Recognises the importance of the well-being of its staff and students and their vital role in helping create a more sustainable future; Seeks to improve the environmental performance of the learning environment, to meet and wherever practicable exceed national and international guidelines for environmental, social and economic sustainability, and to achieve exemplary eco-branding of its facilities; Commits to the long-term view of financial, environmental and social costs in choosing between alternative new-build and alternative refurbishment costs; Will work to enhance the ecological integrity of its campus landscape. Community 8 The university Commits to the corporate social responsibility agenda; Recognises its role and responsibilities in advancing the sustainability agenda across the region and more broadly; Welcomes opportunities to provide and participate in sustainability partnerships across the region; Seeks opportunities for national and international engagement with the sustainability agenda through collaboration with other relevant organisations and agencies, including higher education institutions. 2 Culture 9 The university Recognises the need to be an adaptive learning organization whose staff and students contribute to a culture of collective reflection on the sustainability agenda; Commits to reviewing the sustainability implications of its plans, policies, practices and procedures as they are developed, reviewed and renewed; Acknowledges the importance of open, inclusive and effective communication and dialogue in the process of transformation towards a culture of sustainability; Commits to a continuation of the comprehensive consultative approach which led to the development of the policy in the future review of the policy and supporting documentation. Supporting documentation 10 The principles set out in this policy are translated into actions through an Action Plan http://csf.plymouth.ac.uk/?q=policy which has been approved through Academic Board and is subject to regular monitoring, and periodic review through a process of participative consultation. 11 For those wishing to read more on the university’s sustainability commitments, please see the Sustainability Policy Elaboration, and Sustainability Policy: Staff Guidance documents. http://csf.plymouth.ac.uk/?q=policy Related policies and procedures 12 The sustainability policy does not exist in isolation. It is dovetailed with: Learning and Teaching Strategy, including the Skills Plus Policy; Research and Innovation Strategy; Sustainable Procurement Policy and Strategy; Human Resource Strategy Equality and Diversity Policies and Schemes Environment Policy and policies relating to the estate, energy, water efficiency, transport and travel Students’ Union Strategic Plan Corporate Social Responsibility Policy (under development). Sustainability is also embedded in the university Corporate Plan and Development Plan. Approved Academic Board 12 March 2008 Version 3 Review due 2012 3