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Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

 

The Faculty's Green Impact team is a student-led initiative that coordinates the Faculty's response to the University's Green Impact environmental accreditation scheme.

However, this scheme, and achieving its prescribed awarding criteria, is just one element of the Faculty approach to sustainability. Through its work with the central governing body of the Faculty, the Faculty Board, the Green Impact Team explores the issue of sustainability more widely, looking at ways to incorporate "green" action in to its estate, its curriculum, and attitudes of staff and students alike.

The Green Impact Scheme

The most structured approach to improving the Faculty's environmental footprint comes via its Green Impact accreditation. This is awarded based on the submission of a workbook consisting of several dozen separate environmental goals, from energy saving initiatives to recycling and awareness raising. Workbooks are independently audited prior to receiving an award and awards must be sustained year after year.

Recent Initiatives

In 2017-18 and 2018-19 the Faculty received its Bronze Award. This was just a first-step on the road to a truly environmentally sustainable faculty and much work remains.

In 2021-22 the faculty is aiming to renew its Bronze Award, obtain a Silver Award, and begin progressing towards a Gold Award in two-three years time.

Additional to Green Impact Scheme criteria, the Faculty has instigated a number of other programmes to assist in emissions reductions:

  1. A CO2 offsetting scheme for all staff work-related air travel commenced in the 2020-21 academic year, via Carbon Footprint. This scheme will also be made available to students on a) year abroad travel and b) travel funded from small faculty grants.
     
  2. Adoption of the "Holiday Perks" scheme, whereby administrative staff receive credit for undertaking any holiday travel by rail rather than by air.
     
  3. Expanding our video conferencing facilities to provide effective remote delivery of conference papers, vivas and other meetings.

Green Impact Timelines

  • Launch: 2nd November, 2020
     
  • Submit workbooks: 23rd April, 2021
     
  • Audits: 3rd - 7th May, 2021
     
  • Awards ceremony: TBC

Green Impact Officers

In the 2020-21 academical year, our Green Impact officers are: