Thread by @UniofExeter

Welcome to our live coverage of Climate Emergency Plan engagement session! If you have any questions, just let us know. ex.ac.uk/bP3

Prof Juliet Osborne, Chair of the Working Group and Director of the Environment and Sustainability Institute, is presenting the main findings and answering questions.

Why should Exeter respond to the climate crisis? We have a responsibility: large institution with global reach; we have the ability, the expertise & the vision; it is our ‘business’ to educate, find innovative solutions, attract staff & students in a climate-conscious world.

Hundreds of students and staff contacted us about declaring a climate emergency which we did in May 2019. The working group of staff and students was then established to review current policy, plans and activity and provide recommendations for new strategy, targets and actions.

Existing policies are not necessarily translating into practice and we're not currently leaders on this.

Our recommended strategy: to be a sustainability & climate change leader regionally, nationally & internationally; delivered via transformation in our operation & in our educational, research, international & impact activities; demonstrating innovation, influence & action.

This will require transformation in technology and culture and pro-active governance. It will need investment but will also save over time. But not all staff and students will agree.

Some of our University goals: to be #CarbonNeutral for scope 1 & 2 emissions (owned, controlled or purchased) by 2040 (50% by 2025); Reduce #plastics & paper use by 50% by 2025; #Recycling rates up to 70% by 2025. Read all of our goals here: ex.ac.uk/bPp

We need to find new solution, new social norms and become leaders of change.

This will come through governance and leadership as well as individual responsibility. We believe that every student should have environment and sustainability embedded in their programme and every member of staff needs to be trained.

We need to find climate-compatible global partnerships for the 21st century. This means being able to justify our partners and the trips that we make.

We need to reduce our long haul travel significantly and use video conferencing and slow travel as alternatives.

With procurement, we need to buy less and throw away less. Some key areas we can focus on are reducing our food, plastics and paper waste. We also need to massively improve our recycling rates.

Some of our early actions include setting up an Environmental Emergency Board to oversee delivery of recommendations by December 2019 & removing all #SingleUse, non-recyclable cups & food boxes by December 2020.
Click here to see more ex.ac.uk/bPr

An Emergency needs a step change in action. Your Effect, My Effect, Our Effect.
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