Green Impact is the University's environmental accreditation scheme. It supports and encourages departments and colleges across the University in reducing their environmental impacts.
At Land Economy we have a clear Environment and Sustainability Policy and are keen participants in the annual Green Impact Challenge, having achieved the highest platinum award for sustainability from 2020 to 2022. In 2023 we were given an Excellence Award for a specific project that successfully encouraged our students to participate more in sustainability initiatives both within the department and across the wider collegiate university.
“The University of Cambridge has around 20,000 students and over 11,000 staff, an estate portfolio valued at over £1.7bn, a planned capital building programme worth £412m, and energy costs of £15m a year. This means that the University has a high environmental impact and large carbon footprint. The University is committed to continual environmental improvement, including through a 'science based target' to reduce its energy-related carbon emissions to absolute zero by 2048, with a steep 75% decrease on 2015 emissions by 2030.”
In 2022 the Green Impact student auditors’ feedback was pleasingly positive as always, but also gave us some interesting and important challenges going forward, they said: “Land Economy has a strong track record in environmental sustainability, and this has been maintained – most amazingly despite the challenges of the pandemic and the department building being closed. I hope to see more student involvement in future. I also hope to see more engagement with external charities and groups, and particularly liked the idea of a mentorship programme for the department to support other Green Impact teams across the university.”
Our Excellence Project developed an LE Student Inclusion Plan and successfully encouraged students across our 2022-23 cohorts to get involved in a wide range of sustainability initiatives including: Engage for Change, the Cambridge Carbon Literacy Project, Cambridge Zero, the student-edited sustainability newsletter “A Matter of Degrees” and College Green Week.
Also in July 2023 we participated in the annual Tour de LandAid cycle race raising £1800. LandAid is the UK Property Industry’s dedicated charity raising £1000s to help reduce youth homelessness across the country and specifically in Cambridgeshire.
Our Excellence Project 2023-24 aims to improve staff involvement in sustainability initiatives similar to our 2022-23 student project.
If you would like to find out more about Green Impact at Land Economy, please email our Sustainability Champion and Green Impact Coordinator, Lynda Haines ldh31@cam.ac.uk
LE Sustainability Champion & Green Impact Coordinator 25/03/24