The University of York has been nominated as finalists in three of the 2013 Green Gown awards, relating to energy conservation and the environment. The institution has reached the finals in the ‘Research and Development’, ‘Facilities & Services’ and ‘Carbon Reduction’ categories.
These achievements come after the University embarked on measures to reduce the amount of domestic waste going to landfill sites, and instead place a greater emphasis on recycling.
Roger Hartshorn, Environmental and Energy Manager at the University told Vision: “The measures have resulted in a spectacular reduction of general waste going to landfill from 70% in 2011 to 5% in May 2013; additionally this has resulted in reducing the waste bill by an average of £2,500 per month.”
However, the University has still only been ranked 109th in the People and Planet Green League with a score of 28 points out of a possible 70. The ranking is a slight improvement on last year’s 126th place, but shows that significant progress is still required in a number of areas. Indeed the University was only handed a third class award, and did not achieve an ‘excellent performance’ in any of the 13 categories.
YUSU President Kallum Taylor told Vision: “Whilst we can still do much better, it’s good to see that the University’s efforts to improve it’s environmental sustainability are being recognised. Progress is being made; perhaps not at the rate which some might expect or demand, but it is still progress none the less.”
On a more positive note the University has become one of only a handful of Universities to be presented with the Green Flag Award for the standard of its grounds, in terms of safety, security, maintenance and cleanliness.
In addition to this the University has been granted over £1m from HEFCE’s Revolving Green Fund, which will allow the University to develop its ‘one campus’ energy strategy. This project will see complete new heat emitting equipment introduced to the Heslington West campus.
Hartshorn added: “The installation of the energy efficient equipment will allow the University to improve the overall efficiency of the District heating system and also operate at one temperature across both campuses therefore reducing the operating temperature and saving on heat loss from the pipe work and reduce the standby heating losses associated with the existing heat equipment.”