Association of University Engineers

EAUC - Sustainability in Education report

The Further and Higher Education sector is making a collective call to Vice Chancellors and Principals to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to sustainability and social responsibility.

Today marks the release of the third annual ‘Sustainability in Education’ report from the National Union of Students (NUS), Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC), University and College Union (UCU), Association of Colleges (AoC) and the College Development Network (CDN). 

The research is based on a sample of 500 staff members from universities, colleges and students’ unions in the UK, with 63 respondents identifying as lead staff members on environmental sustainability and social responsibility in a formal or informal basis.

Key findings:
  • 1 in 3 respondents reported sustainability as a strategic priority for the institution they work at, up 7% from 2016.
  • Only 1% of respondents felt their institution was doing all it could to progress environmental and social responsibility.
  • 71% of respondents expect the 2017/18 budget to stay the same or decrease further.
  • The report showed a large divide in resource capacity between Higher and Further Education. While half of the lead sustainability staff in Further Education spend 10% of their time focused on sustainability, two thirds that work in Higher Education spend 100% of their time focused on sustainability.
  • Despite the UK-wide focus on carbon reduction and its necessity, 13% of Higher Education institutions reported they do not have a carbon reduction plan.
  • 75% of respondents have reported that their institution has progressed action linked to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiative. This was the biggest motivator of the initiatives listed.
  • Though estates and facilities departments still tend to lead on environmental sustainability and social responsibility, the responsibility is starting to spread into other departments, with significant increases in leadership from commercial services, finance, and communications and marketing departments, as well as students’ unions.
  • The biggest barriers facing institutions on this topic were; 1) Finances, budgets and budget cuts; 2) Lack of senior management commitment and strategic direction and 3) Lack of staff resources.
  • Looking forward into 2017-2018 and beyond, the most important agenda within environmental sustainability and social responsibility to the respondents was climate change, CO2 reduction and carbon management. 

Published: 18 January 2018

Type: General

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