Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) is celebrating a series of recent sustainability successes, reaffirming its commitment to becoming net zero by 2030.
Most recently, the University was named as a finalist in two categories for the 2024 Green Gown Awards UK and Ireland, in association with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which celebrate the inspirational sustainability work and projects of UK and Ireland higher education institutions.
University Secretary and Chair of the Environment Committee Jon Renyard comments, “We’re delighted to be a finalist in both the Green Gown Sustainability Institution of the Year and the Green Gown 2030 Climate Action categories. It’s a huge achievement for a university of our size.”
Winners will be announced at the Green Gown Awards Ceremony in November.
From awards to league tables, AUB gained a 2:1 in student network People & Planet’s latest University League, an annual survey of sustainability in higher education. The University gained 18 places on last year and is now within the top third of UK institutions for its environmental and ethical performance.
Assessed across 14 categories including sustainable food, carbon management, waste reduction and environmental policy, AUB’s overall score included a rating of 100% in Environmental Auditing and Management Systems.
James Jackson, Environment and Sustainability Manager at AUB comments, “Up against much larger institutions, this is a fantastic achievement for the University, and when the results are filtered by size – universities with 5,000 students or less – AUB comes in as second in the UK.”
July was a successful month for AUB, as the University retained its Fairtrade status in recognition of its commitment to promoting ethical consumerism and pushing for fairer wages for farmers and workers. It was also awarded silver for its commitment to renewable energy in a new study ranking the UK’s greenest universities by Independent Advisor Solar Panels.
Katharine Allison, energy-saving expert at Independent Advisor Solar Panels, comments, “The data shows that UK universities have made considerable progress in adopting solar technology. Integrating solar panels not only helps universities reduce their environmental impact but also serves as a practical tool for educational purposes, providing students with real-world applications of renewable technologies."
As well as awards, the University has been making important headway into decarbonisation on campus with the installation of Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs), a crucial part of the plan to lower fossil fuel use on the campus and provide a clean and efficient heat energy supply. By heating water using renewable energy and air, ASHPs are up to 300% more efficient than a traditional gas heating system and can help to reduce carbon emissions by 12% each year.
At the heart of this £2.5 million project lies the replacement of gas boilers serving the North Building and the Library, alongside future-proofing measures for the new North Light Studios. ASHPs and Water Source Heat Pumps (WSHPs) were installed, achieving a significant step towards decarbonising the AUB campus by approximately 46%, the equivalent of reducing gas emissions by approximately 115 tonnes of CO2e per year and approx. 2,300 tCO2e (minimum) over its 10-year lifecycle.
James says, “Sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do at AUB, and we’re really pleased with the inroads we’ve been making towards our goal of becoming net zero by 2030.
"There is still a lot of work to do in reducing our carbon footprint even further and in researching and developing crucial solutions to the climate challenge our world faces, but it’s reassuring to know that we’re heading in the right direction, we need a systemic change in how we run academic institutions, so they’re fit for purpose and future-proofed for the next generation.”
