Leadership and Governance; Learning, Teaching and Research; Partnership and Engagement; and Estates and Operations
David Cameron and his Ministers swapped Downing Street for the Olympic Park this week, hailing the 2012 Games as a “massive legacy” for Britain. This visit has highlighted the success of the London 2012 project, being completed to deadline and on budget. But this Olympic legacy doesn’t just refer to sport, culture and entertainment. With the Olympics coming to town, 2012 is going to be a great year and a great opportunity for sustainability in the UK.
The term ‘legacy’ has been used since the early days of the London 2012 dream. What would be the economic and environmental cost of such a project and what would be the ‘legacy’ left when the athletes go home? From an environmental standpoint, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has embarked on a journey to make the London 2012 Games a showcase for sustainable development. It has created a ‘Learning Legacy’ to take sustainability to the very core of this massive project and to share its findings. Like the ODA, the Further and Higher Education sector in the UK has also taken sustainability to its heart. That is why, in this special Olympic year, the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) is embracing the ‘Learning Legacy’ as the theme for its 16th Annual Conference taking place at the University of York, 27-29 March 2012.
The ODA’s ‘Learning Legacy’ closely mirrors the excellent work being carried out by universities and colleges throughout the UK. By focussing on key areas, such as energy, water, waste, biodiversity and of course, a considerable amount of construction, the ODA is creating an Olympic Park that reduces carbon emissions, optimises energy efficiency, and has created more than 100 hectares of open space for biodiversity to flourish. EAUC Members will be familiar with all of these efforts, many having carried them out in a sustainability revolution that is quietly gathering pace throughout the Further and Higher Education sector.
This year’s EAUC Conference, seeks to highlight these efforts throughout the sector and beyond. But, as anyone delivering sustainable development knows, whether it is in estates, finance, procurement or the curriculum, complying with Government legislation and meeting ambitious targets isn’t easy. It can only be approached as a journey and certainly doesn’t have a ‘one size fits all’ solution. This Conference seeks to provide guidance and opportunities for all, regardless of how far they have travelled along their own particular journey.
Tying in with the ‘Learning Legacy’ theme, the EAUC is delighted to announce that Simon Wright, Director of Utilities and Infrastructure at the ODA will be one of the Conference keynote speakers. From Simon, delegates will hear more about the Learning Legacy, and how they can use and adapt this knowledge for the benefit of their own organisation. What better way to be inspired than by learning from the best!
Focus on Further Education
This year's Conference has a strong emphasis on Further Education (FE). This Conference is geared towards sustainability practitioners – learning and knowledge exchange, sharing best practices and providing you with valuable tools and contacts to use after the event. With a range of sessions geared to the FE sector, including:
- LiFE (Learning in Future Environments) - whole institution engagement
- Scope 3 emissions - moving beyond the estates office
- Behaviour change in action - a sharing of the behaviour change techniques
- Activist learning - supporting students learning through sustainability action
- Understanding travel behaviour - facing the challenge of engagement
- Road to excellent operations is paved with internal environmental audits
With an impressive array of speakers - including Dr Peter White of Proctor & Gamble, Dr David Pencheon, Director of the NHS Sustainable Development Unit, and Satish Kumar, Editor-in-Chief of Resurgence - the EAUC Conference is mainly a networking event, allowing delegates the freedom to discuss the sustainability issues relevant to them and learn good practice from peers and experts. After years of feedback, the EAUC has learnt the value of workshops, exhibitions, networking and knowledge exchange to give every delegate the opportunity to return to their organisation inspired to take their own sustainable development journey forward.
“At the EAUC, we are really excited about the theme of this year’s conference,” said Iain Patton, CEO of the EAUC. “Even though times are tough for everyone, and the Further and Higher Education sector is no exception, there are lots of things to get excited about and be inspired by – the Olympics are just one of them. The ingenuity and hard work that has gone into planning London 2012, getting the work done to deadline and to budget with sustainability at the core is something we can all learn from and put into practice ourselves. That is a true ‘Learning Legacy’”.
Gillian Sinnott, Head of Environmental Services, Wigan & Leigh College added, "The EAUC conference offers an excellent opportunity for Further Education staff in both an academic and a support/estates role to gain knowledge, update and network; to find supportive ‘friends’ and mentors that help you achieve efficiencies for your college in difficult times. To realise that you are not on your own!"
New this year, and in line with the Association’s sustainability ethos, the EAUC are making real changes making the Conference even more sustainable. New initiatives for 2012 include online bookings only (no paper!), displaying the carbon footprint and source of food, longer sessions, more time between sessions and more, smaller workshops.
The EAUC Annual Conference is THE sustainability event of the year for the sector and beyond. It is unique in its emphasis on practical advice, peer-to-peer networking, and expert discussion, and this year is promising to be even better than ever. So join the EAUC on the journey and see where your own ‘Learning Legacy’ will take you!
Book your place now at the EAUC Annual Conference to take advantage of the low early-bird rates, available until 10 February 2012. There are also a limited number of exhibition and sponsor packages still available, to learn more visit www.eauc.org.uk/annual_conference.
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