Governance, Policy and Targets

Environmental responsibility and sustainable development

Our overarching sustainability and environmental objectives are described in the Environmental Management, Energy Management and Sustainability Policy Statement (PDF, 150KB) and associated Strategy (PDF, 286KB). These are supported by area specific policies and targets.

Governance

Our arrangements for environmental management, energy management, sustainability and climate change fit within the university’s governance structures – which have staff and student representation.

The Environmental Management and Sustainability Panel advises the Executive Leadership Team, Vice-Chancellor, and the Board of Governors on environmental compliance, performance and sustainable development matters. Membership includes JMSU – see the Environmental Management and Sustainability Panel Terms of Reference (PDF, 138KB).

The Climate Action Steering Group advises senior leadership on the climate change agenda and measures necessary to deliver our Climate Emergency Declaration, which we declared on 7 February 2020 and our Climate Action Plan. Membership includes JMSU – see the Climate Action Plan Steering Group Terms of Reference (Word, 69.9KB).

Our Environmental Social and Governance statement (PDF, 149KB) ensures that our Values are embedded within our sustainable and ethical business practices.

Key Documents

We make available our documents and guidance, and we also publish annually our Environment and Sustainability Report.

As part of our joined up procedures, we have financial management policies including an Ethical Investment Policy (PDF, 230KB) and Financial Statements that address sustainability, climate change and ethical responsibilities.

Funding and Resources

We fund our sustainability and climate change activities in two main ways:

  • Staff, routine work and infrastructure projects via standard service and faculty budgets, such as £200k in 2022/23 for energy efficiency and carbon reduction in our estates budget.
  • Due to the scale of the activities necessary to achieve our sustainability and climate change improvement objectives, additional funding (approx. £1.2m for 22/23 and onwards) for extra staff, decarbonisation projects and improvements projects on carbon footprint, travel, biodiversity, waste, water and carbon literacy.

Key sustainability staff

Professor Mark Power, as the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of our university, is ultimately accountable for the delivery of the environmental management, sustainability and climate change arrangements.

The Board of Governors have nominated a Governor Climate Champion (GCC) - Mike Parker – to have oversight responsibility for providing assurance to the Board that we are meeting all of our sustainability and climate change commitments.

Other key staff

Our main target and goals

As a university we have the overall target to be net zero carbon by 2035.

Education and training

  • Enhance skills of staff and students via a carbon awareness programme
  • Support the development of a greener, more sustainable Liverpool City Region as part of our Civic Engagement Strategy Place and Community programme

Recycling and waste

  • Reduce the amount of waste generated per person year on year
  • Maintain 0% waste to landfill
  • Achieve 60% recycling rate across the University

Emissions and carbon management

  • Source all electricity via renewable sources
  • Reduce CO2 energy emissions year on year to 2030
  • Commission a Heat Decarbonisation Plan by September 2023
  • No increases to our chemical / trade effluent discharges to sewer despite increased student numbers

Water

  • To continue provision of free, mains-fed drinking water for LJMU staff/students
  • To monitor and control water consumption to maintain a steady consumption rate

Travel

  • Reduce CO2 emissions associated with the University vehicle fleet
  • Reduce number of staff/student single-passenger car commute journeys
  • Increase number of staff/students taking up active or more sustainable travel (e.g. walking, cycling, public transport, car sharing)

Biodiversity

  • Monitor and improve levels of biodiversity across our premises and grounds

Environmental management

  • To achieve EcoCampus Silver accreditation by August 2024

Construction and Refurbishment

  • Deliver a BREEAM 'outstanding' rating for all new buildings by 2025