Sustainability 

Reducing our carbon footprint

Our pledge

At University College Birmingham, our areas of environmental impact and influence include our campus, our curriculum and our community. We take sustainability very seriously and will use our position to embed sustainability across our operations and our place in the community and society at large. We welcome student and staff feedback on how to best shape our sustainable practices.

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Our sustainability roadmap

We are working closely with regional sustainability champion Sustainability West Midlands, joining a range of other educational institutions, the wider public sector and businesses to work in partnership towards the West Midlands Sustainability Roadmap to 2030. 

Through this relationship, we have commissioned a study and the development of our own roadmap for sustainability, designed to highlight priority areas we can improve on moving forward, from reducing food waste to sustainable travel. 

Key targets include:

  • Gaining ISO Environmental Management Standards
  • Reducing our electricity, gas and water consumption
  • Building on our recycling and waste initiatives
  • Increasing green spaces to support local biodiversity

Linking to the curriculum

We support sustainability-focused modules within courses, wherever possible. These include Sustainable Aviation Practices through to Gastronomy and Sustainable Food Management. 

Our new engineering and construction course offering is firmly centred around sustainable building practices and features production line technology to renewable energy simulators, rigs and specialist software for training learners in skills that support employers and their supply chains.

The refurbishment of the art deco James Cond building, an historic former print works in the Jewellery Quarter’s Conservation Area, will honour the area’s heritage while providing the city with future skills, employment and training opportunities. (Watch the video to find out more about our plans.)


Our courses

Mcintyre House Computer facilities  -  University College Birmingham

Information Technology (IT)

We have a roadmap which sets out our approach to provision and use of printers, toners, PCs and other IT/AV equipment to ensure that this is approached sustainably. We have transformed our IT to help meet our sustainability targets as part of a strategic direction to reduce our carbon footprint. Measures include:

  • Replacing computers with energy efficient desktops and laptops 
  • Phasing out outdated, inefficient machines
  • Implementing solutions to reduce printing 
  • Recycling all redundant IT equipment   

How can you help the University meet its sustainability targets?

Tips to be more IT-savvy

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