Sustainabilty Champions Report Q1 18/19

Report Date

November 2019

Sign ups

• 376 individuals have signed up to the network.
• 139 professional services staff, 109 UG students, 46 PG students, 38 academic staff. 22 PhD, 20 technical, 2 don't know.
• 36.7% CAHSS, 23.9% CSE, 16% CMVM, 8% CSG, 7.4% USG, 4.3% ISG, 3.7% don't know.

Launch events

• Both events were well attended with enthusiasm from both staff and students to take action.
• We could have focused more on providing guidance on initial actions. 

Feedback via initial baseline survey

• 35 respondents to the survey
• 88% described the launch events as excellent or good.
• Top 3 sustainability issues included waste, climate crisis and travel.
• Top 3 skills included behaviour change, addressing sustainability in offices and communication.
• Top 3 knowledge areas to improve include waste, climate crisis and circular economy.
• 51.4% are unsure or don't know of opportunities available to make sustainable choices at the university.
• Free text comments included positive comments about the events, willingness to learn more and take action, lack of communication since sign up and the launch events.

Newsletter and communication

• Very high open rate of 63% (updated today).
• Readers were keen to take the survey and register for carbon literacy training, but most did not click on the case studies of practical actions taken by others. Four students had followed up with Michelle re. SRS Plan / SDG Operationalise working group.
• There was a delay in getting the newsletter out due to resourcing.
• Issues of champions not receiving communications when they first sign up - a template is being created to deal with this, although it'll be some time before an email can be automated due to resource and issues with Cerebro.
• Requirement to be explicit about what practical actions champions can take in future communications. This will be tackled in future quarterly events. 

Future communications

• We will communicate the existence of the network wider. Sarah to present to UoE communication network, CAM to promote, information to be shared in school and college newsletters.
• Winter newsletter will be sent at the end of November.
• Team will work to collect more case studies of champions who've taken actions that can be replicable by others, such as getting sustainability written into annual objectives.

Future events

• Second session of the champions will take place twice, once in December and once in January. One will take place at KB campus.
• The format of the second session will involve a presentation on priority issues, a group task - challenges (addressing problems and identifying solutions), with guidance on practical actions.
• Brainstorm of other potential events including Christmas food bank activity, BIFFA recycling facility, Millerhill energy and waste facility, SRUC events, BINN EcoPark, CHP Energy Centres, solar farms at Easter Bush or Edinburgh College, Community garden at Edinburgh College, community projects, beach clear ups - links to staff and student volunteering. This will be taken forward in the coming weeks.
• Carbon literacy training - working group has been established to develop training and deliver in December or January.
• ISM Model event next year, will have to be smaller in scale due to complexity of model.