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18 March 2014 |
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 News
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LSE wins Green University Award
LSE has been recognised as the top university in the UK for promoting
sustainability among its staff and students.
People & Planet, the student-led body which campaigns for universities to
become more environmentally friendly, gave LSE the 'Student and Staff
Engagement Award' for its 'excellent and innovative' work in a number of
areas, including hosting high-profile public lectures with numerous
world-renowned speakers on sustainability, including James Hansen, Kumi
Naidoo and LSE's own Professor Lord Nicholas Stern.
Julian Robinson, Director of Estates, said: "We are delighted that LSE's
work on sustainability engagement has been recognised. This award highlights
not only the School's achievements but the commitment and enthusiasm of
students and staff from across LSE. The continued involvement of the whole
LSE community is essential to the School's on-going mission to become a more
environmentally sustainable institution."
LSE's Sustainable Projects Fund was also a runner up for the Best
Sustainability Project in the prestigious Guardian University Awards, hosted
by Victoria Coren-Mitchell.
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Green roof on the Library Plaza Cafe,
installed in 2012 with support from the Fund. |
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Sustainable Projects Fund winners announced
Six projects have been announced as winners of the
Sustainable
Projects Fund for this year. The winning bids include plans for
sustainably-sourced magazine distribution stands to be used around
campus, a bike share programme and a new green roof.
The Sustainable Projects Fund supports students and
staff led sustainability projects at LSE. The £20k prize-fund is managed
by the student Sustainable Futures Society. The 2013-14 fund attracted a
record 15 applications, which were judged in January by an independent
panel of students, academics, Estates and Sustainability staff and
PricewaterhouseCooper's Director of Sustainability and Climate
Change.
After considerable debate, six projects were awarded
funds totalling £17,456.98, with an additional application requiring
more details. These projects are for:
- sustainably-sourced magazine
stands to be used around campus
- a bike share programme
- a study of LSE
smart mugs
- a new green roof on the Old Building to complement existing biodiversity
- a drinking fountain that will be a major feature in the centre
building's redevelopment
- a survey of campus recycling behaviours.
These winning bids will make a positive impact on
campus, and will be delivered by the Sustainable Futures Society with
support from the LSE Sustainability Team.
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Fairtrade Fortnight a success
Many will have tasted LSE Catering's delicious promotion
of Fairtrade Fortnight last week, with extra Fairtrade products on sale
and information on making ethical choices when buying food being
displayed.
Meanwhile, on the non-edible side of Fairtrade, the
Estates Division was invited to speak about LSE's journey towards buying
Fairtrade uniforms for staff members
at a panel discussion on Fairtrade procurement in the public sector.
Hosted by the Fairtrade Foundation on 28 February, the event highlighted
case studies from LSE and other institutions and debated how to overcome
legal, financial and organisational barriers to ethical procurement.
The School has also been nominated for an
EU Fair Cotton Award (HE category), with the winners being announced at
a ceremony in Bremen, Germany, on 26 March. Fingers crossed...
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Sustainability teaching collaboration
Dr Kira Matus (pictured left), Assistant Professor in Public Policy and
Management, teaches an undergraduate module, Sustainability Science and
Policy, which analyses policies designed to address sustainability
challenges.
Dr Matus invited Jon Emmett from the Estates
Sustainability Team to help develop a class assignment based on the
real-life challenge of creating a student engagement programme to feed
into the development of an LSE Sustainability Strategy.
The students presented some excellent policy proposals
in class last week, including lunchtime debates, a farmer's market,
industry partnerships and more. We look forward to mulling over these
suggestions when we develop the School's sustainability engagement
strategy over the coming months.
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The LSE bees hard at work. Photo by Dan
Reeves |
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Springtime for LSE's bees
LSE's bees have spent the winter months huddled up to
keep themselves warm in a slightly breezy location on the roof of
Connaught House. They have been tucking into a back-up snack of fondant
icing to see them through what has been declared as the wettest winter
in 250 years - not ideal flying conditions by any stretch of the
imagination!
In recent weeks, the bees have been seen actively
flying in and out and foraging for pollen. Evidence of this has been
found in the wooden 'drip trays' at the bottom of the hive that we check
along with their back-up food levels.
The bees appear to be producing more honey in cells
and you can feel the weight of the honey comb frames increasing as they
top up their larders. Spring is nearly upon us and activity will pick up
considerably over the coming months.
If you want to get involved, do contact the LSE Bees
Society and do your bit to support biodiversity on campus and in London.
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The UK is close to meeting its battery recycling target, which is
to collect 30 per cent of batteries sold during the three
previous years. LSE has played its part, and during 2012-13, LSE
recycled almost half a tonne of batteries!
Look out for our special recycling containers for batteries, mobile phones, ink cartridges, stamps and
CDs/DVDs
in campus and halls. |
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Estates energy efficiency improvements Estates have been beavering away to continuously improve
the School's energy efficiency.
The Maintenance Team has upgraded lighting in the Library,
increasing the light levels whilst reducing energy consumption to save over
3,390 kWh per year. That's over 20,000 cups of tea!
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Green Impact update Green Impact has been as
active as ever this year, with teams working hard to 'green' their offices.
We are especially enthused by four brand new teams joining.
It’s now time for the auditing process which takes place on 19 March, in
time for the wonderful finale at the Celebration of Sustainability event on
22 May, which all students and staff are invited to attend. |
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Notices
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Green buildings at LSE - sustainability
workshop The Saw Swee Hock
Student Centre (SAW) opened in January to high acclaim, both within LSE and in
the
national press - not least for its impressive
sustainability features. Following hot on its heels, the
Centre Buildings redevelopment continues apace.
Last week saw a sustainability workshop to discuss how to make the
Global Centre for Social Sciences even greener than the SAW. Facilitated
by sustainable construction specialists Max Fordham, it brought together
LSE Estates staff with academics, architects, landscape designers and
others. They exchanged expertise and brainstormed approaches to minimise
the ecological impact of the building, both during its construction and
over its lifespan. Watch this space…
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'Green' your event! Seven top
practical tips to 'green' your event. Here are our seven steps to help you
enjoy yourself and limit the 'impact' to the morning after...
1. Planning: order only
the amount of food and drink you need to avoid waste! Ask cleaning staff or
halls front of house staff for recycling bags.
2. Purchasing: does your drinks/food supplier apply
any environmental or ethical criteria (eg. Fairtrade, local or tasty seasonal
produce)?
3. 'Reveal' your food and drink in stages.
This stops the hoarding of drinks and food and reduces leftovers and
wastage.
4. Unplug me: don't leave equipment
standing - save electricity by not leaving PA equipment and lighting on after
events.
5. Slop bucket: this encourages dregs to be emptied
and aids the recycling of aluminium cans.
6. Place recycling bins visibly: to ensure that
aluminium cans, glass bottles and plastic cups are recycled. Scrape plates
of food for compost.
7. Use digital media: Facebook invites are
better than paper flyers and posters for
the environment, and if you do decide to print invitations, then
recycle them
afterwards! |
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Recycling
round up
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The trouble with crabs...
A recap on LSE's waste bins:
- Most items go into the green recycling bins.
- Food waste goes in the brown lidded compost bins.
- Only chewing gum, polystyrene, crisp packets and sweet wrappers go
in the grey non-recyclables bin.
If you have any giant coconut crabs (see left), please do not dispose of
as waste - contact the Estates Helpdesk for further assistance. Then run
away.
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Each year more than 8,000 tonnes of waste is generated just
from Easter egg packaging.
This Easter, try to cut your egg-cessive waste by buying an
eco-egg. For example, Divine Chocolate or Booja Booja's range,
which were recently voted as the most sustainable Easter eggs on
the market taking into account packaging and ingredients. |
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Residences
round-up
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The Student Switch-Off team
in action |
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Springing into action LSE's
residences have been busy working on their Environmental Action Plans and
tackling initial six 'easy wins' across the southern, central and northern
clusters of residences. Most actions have now been completed. The next set
of 'easy win's will be tackled shortly, so as to continually improve
sustainability within the residences. LSE's bees at
Passfield Hall are doing well. Later in the year the existing hive will be
split to repopulate the vacant hive. The Passfield Garden, which is funded
by the Sustainable Projects Fund, is also taking root, and has been
populated with plants to support the bees as well as herbs and strawberry
plants for residents.
The Student Switch-Off energy-saving competition continues
to drive up energy efficiency in halls. Last year it reduced energy
consumption by 6 per cent, saving 78 tonnes of CO2 and £11,500 in energy
bills across eight halls. This year we have attracted three times the number
of Switch-Off Ambassadors, which indicates great potential for savings, both
financially and environmentally, across the residences.
Keep up the good work! |
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60
Second Interview
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with.....Elena Rivilla-Lutterkort,
LSE's new Sustainability Officer
Tell
us a bit about yourself
I
have been at LSE nearly a month now
as the new Sustainability Officer,
dealing with Sustainable Waste
Management and Responsible
Procurement. Before that I worked
for the Metropolitan Police Service.
I could tell you about it but then I
would have to eliminate the evidence
(joking). I'm originally from a
small town in central-south Spain,
middle of nowhere. Climate change
has really affected the area, for
some years it looked as if it would
become a desert, but now after three
years of rain the wetlands have
recovered and host flamingos nearly
all year round.
What did you want to be when you
grew up?
Exactly what I am now - an
environment and sustainability
professional. I saw a news story on
TV when I was eight about the Amazon
forest being burnt and slashed and
told my parents I was going to be a
'naturist' that protected nature.
Little did I know what the word
meant or that protecting nature
would involve making organisations
more sustainable.
What would you do if you were LSE
Director for the day?
Not
sure I would want to be in their
shoes! I guess I would set a spring
clean day for all, a work-free day
other than ensuring that people
clear up their desks, kitchens,
cupboards, shared drives...you name
it. The improvement would be
staggering.
If
you could have three wishes, what
would they be?
Health, a winning lottery ticket and
more time (wouldn't mind having one
of those timepieces Hermione had in
Harry Potter).
What is the strangest food you've
ever eaten?
There
is a fruit in Mexico that looks like
a squashed green tomato, except the
insides have the taste and texture
of black plum jam. The locals called
it 'sapote', which literally
translates as 'large toad', but it
is delicious! |
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Advice
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Want
to know more?
If you have any questions about the sustainability work going on around
campus or would like to become involved, why not contact one of the many
Green Impact Leaders who take active roles in the School's work in this
area.
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