Governance, Policy and Targets

Environmental responsibility and sustainable development

Our overarching sustainability and environmental objectives are described in the Environmental Management and Sustainability Policy and associated Strategy. These are supported by area specific policies and targets.

Governance

Our arrangements for environmental 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.

The Climate Change Panel advises senior leadership on the climate change agenda and measures necessary to deliver our Climate Emergency Declaration, which we declared on 7th February 2020. Membership includes JMSU – see the Climate Changel Panel Terms of Reference.

Key Documents

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

As part of our joined up procedures, we have financial management policies including an Ethical Investment Policy 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) - Garry Banks – 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

Other key staff, including for implementation of our arrangements are:

Professor Philip Vickerman, Pro-Vice Chancellor – Student Experience and Chair of the Environmental Management and Sustainability Panel

Professor Laura Bishop, Pro-Vice Chancellor – Faculty of Science and Joint Chair of the Climate Change Panel

Dr Jason Kirby, Director of the School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Joint Chair of the Climate Change Panel

John Gillin; Head of Safety, Health and Environment, SHE Department

Steve Fisher: Safety, Health & Environment Adviser, SHE Department

Oliver Irving, Safety, Health & Environment Support Officer, SHE Department

Nia Williams, Energy Manager, Campus Services

Sarah Latham, Senior Development Manager (Student Opportunities & Development), John Moores Student Union

Ambar Ennis, VP Community & Wellbeing, John Moores Student Union

Mark Askem, Director of Estate Development

Tudor Williams, Director of Campus Services

Diane Spivey, Head of Transition

Peter Robinson, Head of Catering, Campus Services

Janet Martin, Director of Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Relations

Chris Finn, Director of Student Futures

Due to GDPR, online security and work allocation issues, please make any initial contact to key staff through HSU@ljmu.ac.uk.

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