HOLISTIC POLICY AND STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT • Sustainability Policy (2025) • Environmental Sustainability Strategy with SMART targets ETHICAL FINANCE AND INVESTMENT • Establish an Ethical Investment and Banking Policy by 2028 • Initiate a clear divestment policy and strategy, including responsible reinvestment of divested funds by 2030 OUR PEOPLE • Ensure that the total reward offer to employees supports living costs and is fair and accessible for all • Mandatory all-staff sustainability training, awareness and empowerment plan (aligned with UUK Accommodation Code) • We aim for our staff to feel empowered and demonstrate a Shared ownership sustainability across all roles and responsibilities – much like the goals for our students from strategic plan • Sign up to the Can’t Buy My Silence Universities Pledge • The University will work to provide opportunities for volunteering to all staff, as part of curriculum and civic responsibilities • Sustainability within the job descriptions and as a part of the hiring process of all accommodation staff and all staff working on sustainability initiatives SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT • Establish a Sustainable Procurement Policy • Develop an achievable procurement action plan to meet our sustainable procurement goals in collaboration with finance. POLITICAL AND SOCIAL STEWARDSHIP • Maintain an active role in local and national sustainability conversations • Establish an ethical careers policy for partner companies DECISION MAKING • Establish a Climate Risk Register, including climate adaptation and resilience considerations • Introduce a Sustainability Impact Assessment process for decision making GREEN MARKETING • Review marketing materials and volumes • Provide education on avoiding greenwashing • Review digital practices: explore greener web hosting, removal of outdated documents, and lower-impact web design GOVERNANCE New roles including a Head of Sustainability and Campus Services and a Sustainability and Campus Services Coordinator have strengthened our capacity to drive change and ensure consistent progress across the institution. This structure enables us to channel our resources effectively, align our policies and practices with our values, and hold ourselves accountable to the commitments we have made. A new Energy and Data Officer role starts in 2026. Through strengthened policies, ethical investment principles, improved procurement standards, specialised training and emerging tools such as a climate risk register, we are building a culture where sustainability shapes everyday operational and strategic decisions. Transparent monitoring (see next section) – including KPI dashboards, surveys, annual reporting and external audits – will ensure we track our impact and continually improve. Together, these governance arrangements provide the clarity, leadership and accountability needed to deliver meaningful, long-term change for our university and our wider community. Strong governance underpins our entire sustainability strategy. At University College Birmingham, responsibility is shared across senior leaders, specialist working groups and the Executive Management Team to ensure sustainability is embedded in every decision we make. Our three working groups – Campus, Curriculum and Community – are chaired by senior managers who lead cross-university action, with overall strategic direction provided by the Sustainability Steering Board, chaired by Rebecca Tigue. They might sound technical, but they shape the world around us. They’re global guidelines that help organisations work safely, efficiently and sustainably. From environmental management (ISO 14001) to energy use (ISO 50001), many employers use them to improve sustainability performance – you may end up working with them sooner than you think. EVER HEARD OF ISO STANDARDS? UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY 2025–2030 25 UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY 2025–2030 24
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