Is UKC Environmentally Friendly? New Study Claims Not

People and Planet released damning figures this week, suggesting the University of Kent has more work to do in reducing their environmental impact and increasing the sustainably of their resources. As a result, t h e University of Kent has been awarded a ‘third class’ rating from People and Planet for 2017.

This grading system is designed to mirror university grading systems, with a third class rating being s i g n i f i c a n t l y below par. The report breaks this rating down into individual scores across 13 categories:

1 . Environmental sustainability; policy and strategy

2.Human resources for Sustainability

3.Environmental auditing & management systems

4. Ethical investment

5.Carbon management

6.Workers’ rights

7.Sustainable food

8.Staff and student engagement

9.Education for sustainable development

10.Energy source

11.Water and recyling

12.Carbon reduction

13.Water reduction.

The scores for each of these are illustrated below, and were derived from publicly available documents, such as as the university’s environmental policy, as well as based on how well they met certain targets.

When approached about the report, a University of Kent spokesperson said: ‘The University of Kent has not participated in the People and Planet Green League for several years, and instead adheres to a system developed by the Association of University Directors of Estates to track its environmental and ethical performance.

“As a University, environmental and ethical concerns are of the utmost importance and we adhere to the ISO 14001 standard to ensure we are following all best practice guidelines and we continue to make excellent progress in key areas.

“Notably, in the last 12 months we recycled 2,315 tonnes of waste and reduced water waste by 15%, while since 2005 we have cut carbon emissions by 14% and are on track to hit our target of a 23% reduction by 2020.

“Furthermore, we recently opened a dedicated recycling hub to increase the amount of waste we can collect for disposal by environmental means. We are always striving to do whatever we can to ensure our impact on the environment is as minimal as possible.”

On the wider issue of sustainability a Kent Union spokesperson stated: “Sustainability and the environment is one of the biggest issues facing us as citizens of the world and it’s clear that not enough is being done. I’m disappointed by the results in this league, but also recognise that People and Planet have measured this based on an internet search of policies and information. Environmental concerns should be embedded across the organisation and through all areas of our work. Policies can be tokenistic and web articles can be lip service. We need to do real work to address environmental and sustainability issues that face our world, and Kent definitely has its role in that.

“As a Union, we have an incredible group of volunteers who do work around sustainability, both here and in Medway. We also have a Part-Time Officer, whose focus is on the environmental and sustainability issues facing us all. If any students are keen to get involved with our work around environmental issues, please do contact us on union-sabbs@kent.ac.uk, as we’d love to hear from you.”