SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
Introduction
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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.
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The university’s focus is on:
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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.
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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.
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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
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The university has adopted a whole institution ‘4C’ approach to taking forward the sustainability
agenda. The agenda has significance for
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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.
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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
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The university
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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
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The university
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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
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The university
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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.
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Culture
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The university
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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
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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.
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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
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The sustainability policy does not exist in isolation. It is dovetailed with:
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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
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